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A Chequered Destiny 


BY 


Junius L. Hempstead^ 


AUTHOR OF 


EFIESTA, OR THE CASTLE OF SILENCE. NEDETTE, THE ARCAD- 
IAN MAID. REGINALD; OR A FISHERMAN’S LUCK. AFTER 
MANY DAYS AND OTHER STORIES. THOMPSON, THE 
DETECTIVE. MUSINGS OF MORN. PARNASSIAN 
NICHES. THE DESCHANOS. BRAIN RAMBLES. 



> 5 

i > » 



PUBLISHERS : 

Beti’franklin Fubltsbing €0., 

NO. 45 TO 51 ROSE STREET, 


NEW YORK CITY, 




\ 



LIBRARY Of liONGHESS 
Two Copies rtectNveU j 

AUG 8 J905 ; 

Copvnifni i 


J' 7^-Yt.fO, f^OS^n 



Copyrighted 1906 
By 

JUNIUS L. HEMPSTEAD 


CONTENTS. 


/ 

CHAPTER 1 . 

Dantima — Men-of-War in Port 5 

CHAPTER II. 

The King’s Messenger and the Wager 13 

CHAPTER III. 

The Custom House Officer and the Admirals 24 

CHAPTER IV. 

Sir Jasper Banished from Court 31 

CHAPTER V. 

Nattie Gathering Evidence 39 

CHAPTER VI. 

The Devil’s Mark anti the Alchemist 50 

CHAPTER VII. 

Carl in the Pillory 64 

CHAPTER VHI. 

Sir Jasper Recalled to Court 74 

CHAPTER IX. 

The Widow Deycourt and Florette Prisoners 84 

CHAPTER X. 

Sir Jasper Imprisoned in the Tower 105 

CHAPTER XI. 

Danger in the Cottage 119 

CHAPTER XII. 

Carl in the King’s Service 13 1 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Sir Jasper in Rome i 37 

N 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER XIV. 

Carl Saves His Friend 164 

CHAPTER XV. 

Sir Jasper in Arabia 182 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Carl in Danger 206 

CHAPTER XVH. 

A Fight with the Bedouins 241 

CHAPTER XVHI. 

Carl and Florette to Wed , 256 

CHAPTER XIX. 

The Astrologer 268 

CHAPTER XX. 

Carl and His Iron-Hearted Aunt 278 

CHAPTER XXL 

A Strange Adventure 285 

CHAPTER XXH. 

Sir Jasper in Dantima 301 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


CHAPTER I. 

KING CHARLES' MEN-OF-WAR IN PORT. 

The ancient town of Dantima was a quaint spot of 
earth where time crystalized the past and obliterated the 
present from the calendar of the centuries. Change and 
decay touched it with a leniency that was marvelous. Its 
existence dated from the Norman invasion. The paved 
streets and solidly built houses still nestled within its mas- 
sive walls. 

Generation succeeded generation. Thus they preserved 
the manners and customs of the invaders. Strange to 
relate, the population never increased or decreased. If a 
child was born an adult died. The ebbs and flows of 
human existence were as changeless as the seasons. 

Cut off from the world by a mysterious power, they 
married and intermarried till a uniform resemblance in 
body and feature made distinct personality a very difficult 
undertaking. 

The burg was doomed to perpetual isolation. The 
weird tales embellished by time (with all of the exagger- 
ated touches of superstition) became so many grim senti- 
nels whose ceaseless vigils blighted the fairest of nature’s 
scenes. The Devil’s Elbow was a conspicuous landmark. 
It was an abrupt angle of an isolated mountain spur, 
whose top was crowned by a half-ruined cottage perched 
skyward, and hidden among the giant trees. 


6 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


The citizens feared and hated the ghostly spot with an 
intense aversion fully equal to his satanic majesty’s dislike 
for holy water. It was a distributing point where the 
spectral world held undisputed sway, much to the detri- 
ment of Dantima. 

The burgomaster sold the undesirable property to per- 
sons from London for a good round sum. For this reason 
expectation was on tiptoe. The tangled web of uncer- 
tainty created a feverish condition of anxiety among the 
little groups that gathered on the corners of the Cathedral 
Square. 

The ruined cottage was an object of considerable inter- 
est to the peaceful residents, because its forest-crowned 
top was environed by a fatal charm more potent than the 
spell of an enchantress. Far out to sea its unholy lights 
were visible. For this reason sailors cleared the point 
where lights could be seen flickering and flaring above the 
tall tree tops. 

The house was effectually concealed from the terror- 
stricken glances which were contented to allow space 
and a very deep-wooded ravine to separate them from 
these heights, where death’s carnival and the dance of 
skeletons made night a revelry for the dead. 

The location was exceptionally picturesque. Upon the 
landward side a rugged rocky glen sloped abruptly to- 
wards the town, whose precipitous sides had been walled 
half way up to make a snug harbor for vessels that sailed 
in with the tide. Ancient gnarled oak trees with twisted 
roots swayed at modest angles from the sides of the 
cliff. Upon the seaward side of the projecting spur a per- 
pendicular wall of rock made the cottage a conspicuous 
landmark that guided ships into the land-locked bay. 

There was a steep pathway that wound among the 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


7 


dense foliage up to the cottage gate. At the foot of this 
path a crystal spring gurgled from beneath the hill, where 
a rough hewn stone cross was almost concealed by the 
entrance to a roomy grotto, where a painted statue of the 
Virgin Mary freshened the sombreness of the interior. 

Smoke curled gracefully from the tall chimney of the 
haunted house. This fact increased the wonderment in 
Dantima. What means had been used to furnish the in- 
mates with the comforts of life? Keen eyes guarded 
every avenue of approach. The foiled watchers con- 
tented themselves with a vast amount of futile specula- 
tion, all of which was dispelled when a half-witted boy of 
fifteen summers roamed at will through the silent streets 
of Dantima. He was accompanied by a very large and 
ferocious wolf dog. The boy had but one answer to the 
dozen of idle questions that greeted him at every turn of 
the square, and this was an idiotic stare that left nothing 
to be desired in the way of a reply. 

The burghers only shook their heads with a gravity 
that was ludicrous, and paid no further attention to the 
lad as he gazed in stupid wonder at the ancient Custom 
House, and wandered through the gloomy rooms, espe- 
cially those that contained unredeemed plunder of every 
description upon which no duty had ever been paid, there- 
by cheating the King’s exchequer of various sums that 
Father Time had receipted in full by death or otherwise. 

Sometimes the half-witted lad accompanied his sister to 
the great Cathedral of Dantima that occupied the centre 
of the square. When she was safely within its massive 
walls her soulful brown eyes never wandered from her 
devotions, as she repeated each Hail Mary, and Pater 
Noster on her rosary with that devotion that was cradled 
in faith. 


8 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


The majestic altar that time embellished with relics 
from a score of shrines never reflected its colored shadows 
upon a more exquisite face. When her devotions were 
ended she would timidly retrace her steps through the 
sombre streets and pass out of the massive postern gate, 
walk briskly across the glen, climb the steep pathway, 
and draw a long breath, thankful for the freedom the 
great forest offered her; thankful to be free from the 
boorish glances that made these visits a duty. 

The widow seldom ventured within the city’s gate. 
It was through Father Leonard’s persuasion that she 
came. He read her letters thoughtfully and dismissed her 
with his blessing. She was always closely veiled ; the 
eyes that peered through her modesty, followed her re- 
treating figure with looks that boded no good for the 
widow and her children. 

As their persons became more familiar to the burghers, 
and the girl and boy mingled with the children of the an- 
cient town, the old quietness settled upon the port, a quiet- 
ness that was measured by generations. The dwellers 
on the cliff, in the opinion of these roundheads, were 
covenanters with the devil. The small amount of human 
charity they (the commoners) possessed extended no fur- 
ther than their hat-brims. 

One fine day the peaceful repose of Dantima was rudely 
broken. The booming of cannon reverberated through 
the paved streets ; the window panes rattled with an omi- 
nous sound that filled the inhabitants' with alarm. Soon 
a disorderly throng crowded the pier. The anxious eyes 
that were shaded by steeple-crowned hats, gazed curi- 
ously at two of His Majesty’s men-of-war as they rounded 
the narrows and dropped anchor in the bay. 

The custom-house officer became a target for a hundred 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


9 


questions, all of which were answered by a ferocious 
snarl : “God wot but His Majesty’s officer is not beholden 
to answer thy queries.” 

This self-important dignitary was Falstaffian in size; 
consequently no shot ever went amiss. His ponderocity 
had grown gray in the King’s service. At least this asser- 
tion was proven by the parchment that adorned the dingy 
walls. There was a faint suspicion that time alone had 
not faded the King’s authority; perhaps the fumes of to- 
bacco smoke were potent factors in its discoloration. 

When the cannons boomed through the massive build- 
ing his portly person was comfortably filling a leathern 
arm chair; both of his legs were extended in a helpless 
position. His loud-smelling pipe was on the floor at his 
side. Sleep stole his overfed sense that was of a very in- 
ferior quality. The echoes of the guns sounded with 
startling distinctness through the wide halls. With an 
effort he aroused his dormant faculties and sat upright. 

“Rudolf! Rudolf! where art thou? thou knave. Out 
upon thee for a loiterer !” 

At this call, a tall, limber specimen of overgrown hu- 
manity ambled to the chair, and with an angular jerking 
movement raised his hand to his forehead with the palm 
to the front, evidently this motion was intended for a 
formal salute. 

“Rudolf, what was that strange noise outside? How 
it startled me.” 

“Two of the King’s warships are anchored off the 
fourth pier.” 

“Thou sayest so, Rudolf. When was the last port 
entry ?” 

“Don’t know ; go see.” 

With an altogether the clerk opened a heavy brass- 


10 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


bound record book, and for a few moments was lost in 
the investigation. 

“Three years to-morrow, sir, and not a day less.’^ 

“Rudolf, do we owe the King aught? I like not the 
coming of these war dogs. There is trouble in the air.’' 

“Don’t know, sir ; will see.” 

“Also, see how much we have to our credit, not in- 
cluding His Majesty’s part.” 

“Sir, we lack ten pounds of having a penny.” 

“Rudolf, thy report is very satisfactory. Thou canst 
go.” 

“Come back! come back! How didst thou say we 
stood ?” 

Rudolf repeated what he had already remarked, and 
started for the harbor. 

“Stay! Rudolf, give me the ten pounds. Keep the 
penny. A fair divide, is it not, Rudolf. Do not mention 
how liberal I have been.” 

“Sir, thou dost not understand.” 

“Silence! Do as I tell thee. No words with a superior 
officer. Am I not in good King Charles’ service? I 
understand my business, as thou must know.” 

The discomfited accountant went sullenly over his fig- 
ures, yet he could not make two and two one hundred. 
Fortunately a deputation of Dantima’s citizens entered 
the room and thus relieved the painful embarrassment. 

“Sir, as an officer of the King, thou canst tell us why 
the war ships are in port? Here have we lived in peace 
for ten generations fearing God and caring for no man. 
There is trouble for the hatching. The widow moved 
into the devil’s dance house, and now, close upon the heels 
of her arrival, our ungodly ruler has sent his vessels 
here.” 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


II 


“Out upon thee for a set of graceless knaves ! Who 
are ye ? that thee should call good King Charles to a reck- 
oning? Or is it that thy own affairs do suffer by over- 
inquisitiveness, that makes Dantima a pest-house of sense- 
less gossip.” 

“But, sir, as burghers ” 

“Silence! I understand my duties well. Does the 
King’s royal seal mean nothing, as it hangs from yonder 
wall?” 

The deputation retired in confusion; when it passed 
out of the tall archway that faced the pier, the heavy 
frame of custom collector was shaken by a quiet chuckle, 
as he muttered : “God wot but a custodian of his Maj- 
esty’s good pounds is not obliged to tell what he does not 
know.” 

Turning in his seat he saw Nattie, the half-witted boy, 
standing just outside the entrance. 

“Nattie, my lad, don’t go away, I may need thee. I 
will want thee to take a message to the ships.” 

“I will be within call, sir.” 

“At the same time, my boy, circulate the report that the 
men-of-war in port were ordered here by my command.” 
He was chagrined that good King Charles had omitted to 
inform him of this mysterious movement of state policy. 

This ancient semblance of authority drained his half 
gallon of ale, filled his pipe and dozed peacefully, while 
the widow’s son was as usual overhauling piles of un- 
claimed plunder. 

Package after package found its way to the haunted 
house. Bundles of letters, clothing, souvenirs, all musty 
with age, passed under the vigilant eyes of mother and 
daughter. The wrappings were carefully replaced. Then 


12 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


the relics of other years were returned to the Custom 
House. 

Darkness and the tolling of the curfew bell warned 
Nattie that the ponderous city gate would soon be closed. 
Night had no terrors for this brave boy who wandered 
at will through the solemn glen. The large wolfish hound 
was his only companion. As they prowled through the 
underbrush the dog would rub his cold nose upon the 
lad’s outstretched hand. The blazing-eyed owls would 
welcome both with a softer “Too hoo” ; thus boy and dog 
gained a knowledge of woodcraft that would be such a 
safeguard as secrecy required. 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


13 


CHAPTER IL 

THE king’s messenger AND HIS FOOLISH WAGER. 

The smoke of His Majesty’s guns had hardly drifted 
away to the windward when the staid burgesses gathered 
in small groups along the narrow sidewalks to confront a 
situation that was grave even to seriousness. “The King’s 
messenger,” they whispered, as they stood at a respectful 
distance and eyed the cavalier as he dismounted from his 
tired steed, whose gaudy and rich trappings were pow- 
dered with the dust of the road. The young nobleman 
alighted with some stiffness of his shapely legs. He gave 
his high buff leathern boot casings several sharp raps with 
his open palm and looked inquiringly around. 

He was a young man of commanding appearance. His 
stout and well-knit frame was adorned by a slashed doub- 
let and leggings. His features were regular and hand- 
some, although a trace of dissipation betrayed a too close 
companionship with the King’s wine flagons. His devil- 
may-care air and bold, fearless bearing betokened that he 
was a soldier of fortune. A jeweled-hilted sword swung 
lightly to his belt ; the straight, well-tempered blade, with 
its keen edge and needle point, was a dangerous weapon 
in such hands. 

He stood for a moment and with thoughtful glances 
surveyed the crowd that closed in on horse and rider. He 
threw the rein over his arm just as the group respectfully 
opened a passageway for him. Thus he passed through 
the massive gateway. 

He walked with difficulty. The long ride cramped his 
limbs. The rough stone pavement over which he moved 


14 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


gave a tilt to the high heels of his boots that was painful. 
The musical jingle of his gold spurs and the sharp ring 
of his horse’s shoes sounded strangely as they echoed 
from wall to wall. When he reached the hostlery the 
throng pressed so closely that he could neither advance 
nor retreat. 

“Give way, good people ! God wot but it is an ill-man- 
nered reception to one that comes from thy King. Give 
back, I say! ere I prick thee sharply with this good 
sword. Out upon thee for a set of ill-bred knaves!” 

The crowd opened in front and closed behind him, 
while he turned his good steed over to the hostler and 
seated himself at one of the tables, where he munched 
the hard cheese and brown bread, which he washed down 
with copious draughts of ale. 

One Dantimite made bold to enter the inn ( without say- 
ing so much as “By your leave, sir”). He seated himself 
on the opposite side of the table. This movement was un- 
noticed because the cavalier was smiling good-naturedly 
at the faces that made a curious picture because of the 
strange resemblance one to another. It seemed to the 
tired traveler that they had been cast in the same mould. 
He was thus dreaming when the voice of his companion 
aroused him from this abstraction. 

“Thou hast ridden hard, sir cavalier. Thy dust-bespat- 
tered garments and jaded steed bespeak the length of thy 
journey. Mayhap it is from London that thou earnest?” 

“I tell thee, good burgher, that some roads are long 
and some roads are short. All are long until thou readi- 
est the end; with no company but one’s thought they 
double in the distance.” 

“Who is yon damsel?” the messenger quickly asked. 
“She is fair to look upon. By our lady. King Charles’ 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


15 


court boasts not of such beauty. I mean the one that now 
skirts the throng and moves to the cathedral.’" 

“Come, good sir cavalier, thy question deserves a boor- 
ish answer; yet will I tell thee of the maiden that liveth 
upon the Devil’s Elbow. Flesh and blood that consort 
with the evil one are little to Dantima’s liking. The foul 
fiend seize them and all such. The signs of unsettled 
times are in yon baleful height, where the tree tops do 
glow with pale tongues of fire.” 

“Tush, man! An idle tale for a yet more idle hour. 
Yon maiden’s sweet face bespeaks a gentle birth ; else are 
Dantima’s girls fairer for the wooing. The very streets 
seem brighter when she is abroad.” 

“It is the foul witch’s spell that binds thy better sense. 
Have a care, I tell thee ; her eyes will bewitch thee. The 
foul fiend will do thee harm and the devil will get thy 
soul.” 

“Tush, again, I say! I heed not such foolish lore. I 
fear no man or the devil. Would that her pretty eyes 
would but rest upon me for a moment. One soft glance 
would be worth a world of scarecrows.” 

‘^Thou art over bold of speech, sir cavalier. I will 
wager a gallon of Mother Shipley’s best brewing that with 
all thy brave speech thou canst not hold thy own a single 
hour against the fearful hordes that nightly revel in yon 
old rookery.” 

“By our good King Charles, I will double the wager. 
One place to sleep is as good as another. Hard riding 
and rugged roads make slumber a welcome neighbor. Be- 
think thee, good burgher, I speak betimes, that which I 
bespeak may not be to the maiden’s liking.” 

“Why, then, good sir, the wager counteth for naught.” 

“The prospect for a night’s sojourn in this dingy inn 


i6 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


seemeth but a poor promise for the morrow. I pray to 
our lady that the damsel may look kindly on my petition.’’ 

“Bestir thee, sir, the maiden cometh this way. If thy 
comely face wins not the day then are such vanities worth- 
less.” 

The courtier straightened his cramped legs and pushed 
back the long hair that almost concealed his features, and 
moved to the entrance just in time to stand face to face 
with Florette, the widow’s only daughter. 

“I prithee pardon, lady, I would not be over bold in 
rudely addressing thee ; if it smacketh of discourtesy I cry 
thee mercy.” He doffed his broad-brimmed cavalier hat 
till the long plumes trailed on the pavement, and a wealth 
of curls fell loosely upon his broad shoulders. 

A surprised flush spread quickly over her face as she 
noted the gentle bearing of this stranger, and her speech 
came soft and low as she replied : 

“Gentle sir, the mercy is granted. What is thy re- 
quest ?” 

“The right of hospitality for a single night.” 

“Hast thou heard the strange lore that runneth back 
through centuries? Bethink thee well ere thou makest 
answer.” 

“One night will not make or mar the fortunes of a life. 
I will be miles hence ere the morrow’s sun has set.” 

“Nay, nay! sir, I see that thou art of gentle birth. I 
wot not why it should be thy wish to measure swords with 
shadows. Since desire is stronger than reason, I will say 
thee yea upon one condition.” 

“Name the condition, lady; I swear by my knightly 
spurs, by my manhood’s honor, by the most sacred thing 
on earth, that thy wishes shall be respected.” 

“It is this,” the damsel replied, “that the bold heart and 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


17 


quick eye will never betray the rights of hospitality to in- 
jure the persons or property of those who extend a wel- 
come.” 

“Thou hast my knightly word.” 

“My brother will guide thee through the glen.” 

When the maiden passed from sight this soldier of for- 
tune replaced his broad-brimmed hat and stood as if 
rooted to the spot. Strange thoughts filled his mind, 
which the pressure of the crowd soon scattered. He ad- 
vanced a hundred paces and stood intently gazing at the 
clear sky with a fixedness that quickly drew idlers around 
him. Scores of eyes were turned heavenward, impelled 
by that resistless force that governs the human race. 

Unobserved the messenger moved rapidly to the rear of 
the Cathedral, thence to the Custom House, where he de- 
livered a sealed package to the revenue officer, for which 
package the King’s messenger received a receipt. 

“God wot. Sir Jasper, but it is a welcome sight to see 
one who comes from His Majesty. I say thrice a good 
day to thee, and the best of the King’s wine cellar shall 
be thine. Mother Shipley’s best is but a sorry lodging 
for one in thy position. I owe my sovereign this courtesy. 
Thou canst not say me nay in the King’s good name.” 

“Rudolf ! Rudolf ! Some wine from the vault in the 
north wing, with the seal as old as time !” 

Sir Jasper looked curiously at the odd figure that 
brought three dark bottles and some glasses, but remained 
silent while the liquid gurgled a pleasing sound. 

“Drink, Sir Jasper. Such wine is not to be had for the 
asking.” 

' “The wine is excellent,” Sir Jasper remarked. “My 
blood circulates with the vigor of youth. The ale, cheese 
and brown bread will not be ghosts to haunt my nightly 


i8 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


dreams. Thou art of good understanding. The King’s 
wine flagons hold no better.” 

“Knowest thou aught that these dispatches contain?” 
The revenue officer asked this question with a careful 
consideration that diplomacy required, because the wine 
failed to produce the effect desired. 

‘‘Do not the parchments tell thee ? Where is thy vision, 
good friend? The hand of the King's scribe is bold. 
Thou hast thy orders. Obey them.” 

Nattie drew near to the King’s messenger and sang 
with a peculiar drawl : “The owls hoot, the ban-dog 
bays, and the witches croon their chants always.” 

“Well, my lad, is the time up ?” 

“Stay, Sir Jasper, what folly besets thee?” 

“A whim and my love for adventure.” 

“That will cost thee all thy peace of mind in the years 
that are bright with future promise.” 

The cavalier turned upon his heel and followed the lad 
out of the rear entrance of the gloomy building. As they 
sped along the silent streets Nattie whispered : “The 
way is clear. The curfew rang a good hour ago, and we 
have the postern gate to pass. I fear me the crusty at- 
tendant will not let down the bars.” 

When they stood before the massive gate the lights 
were out in the keeper’s lodge. Their repeated knocks 
were unanswered. The cavalier rapped sharply with the 
hilt of his sword on the oaken door and repeated in a 
clear tone of voice : “Open in the King’s name !” 

The effect was magical. The great door swung on its 
hinges and the belated persons passed out into the dark- 
ness of the woods. 

“Keep close to me, my lad. God wot but the boulders 
are everywhere, and the gloom is dense. Thou hast the 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


eyes of the owl in thy head and thou art sure-footed as a 
hind.” 

When they reached the top of the hill Nattie repeated a 
low “Good night” and disappeared in the darkness around 
one angle of the house. The door was wide open. The 
entire place was at his disposal. 

A strange feeling of loneliness crept into his mind, and 
yet he felt that he was not alone. The atmosphere op- 
pressed him in a singular way. He wandered from room 
to room, where the pictures pleased him. The smaller 
objects that ornamented the apartment puzzled him, be- 
cause they had a history with which he was familiar. 
Further than this he could not reason. In fact, he did 
not try to reason. He bravely resisted a human weakness 
that was so reprehensible in others. 

He stood at the window that faced the sea. The fresh 
salt-ladened air blew upon his flushed face in a manner 
that was refreshing. He heard the water lapping the 
base of the cliff. It seemed to him that the sea was di- 
rectly under him ; that he was standing over a cavern. 
Then the musical chime of the Cathedral bell tolled the 
midnight hour. 

He drew his sword and bent its polished blade till the 
point and hilt touched. He laughed loudly as he re- 
marked : “Of what use is this good blade against the pow- 
ers of darkness?” and with another hearty laugh he re- 
turned it to its scabbard. 

His laugh had a thousand echoes. All the mocking 
devils of the air were at his elbow ; yet no harm had come 
to him. He rushed to the windows for a breath of air, 
they were closed in his face. The doors slammed to 
and fro, and yet his brave soul was undaunted by the un- 
earthly confusion of noises around him. He sang a verse 


20 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


of an old love song that he had almost forgotten ; yet it 
came back to him with all of the freshness of the long 
ago. 

The song was suddenly cut short. A small female hand 
was placed over his mouth. A stinging blow on the head 
made him stagger and fall across a chair. He regained 
his feet. His sword was tossed about the room entirely 
at the mercy of unseen foes. The air was filled with 
groans and horrid maniac laughs. Hundreds of feet were 
tramping around him ; the floor seemed to rock, to sway 
from side to side. He was thrown violently against the 
wall and stunned by a heavy blow. 

When he recovered he was lying at the foot of the hill 
near the spring. His sword was by his side. A pair of 
feminine arms were around his neck. A musical voice 
whispered : “Come to me ; thou art mine.” 

“Art thou suffering, sir?” The light of a pine torch 
in Nattie’s hand added to the gruesomeness of the scene. 
As he bended over the prostrate man who lay on the damp, 
cool ground, the boy repeated the question in a louder 
tone of voice. 

“Come, lad ; help me to arise. I am in sore need of the 
leeches’ craft. Easy ; t?liat will do. Bring me some water 
from the spring, else do my ears deceive me? Is that 
the maiden that standeth in the shadow of yon tree?” 

“It is the maiden, good cavalier. Ah, woe is me, 
that such a sorry happening should mar so brave a day. 
Bethink thee ’twas of thy choosing. Dost thou hold me 
blameless, thou messenger of the King?” 

“In good sooth, I do hold thee blameless. For a fool- 
ish wager in yon hostlery, I have overstepped the bounds 
of prudence. My good sword is unbroken. For this the 
saints, be thanked. I wot well they did not cast my body 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


21 


over the cliff and into the sea. Tell me, damsel, did thy 
fair arms encircle my neck, or was it idle visioning of a 
disordered brain?” 

Florette’s face flushed with a crimson hue as she re- 
plied : “In good sooth, sir, thy wits are wandering. I 
was a good hundred paces distant.” 

“It was not thy sweet voice that whispered: ‘Come to 
me ; thou art mine.’ ” 

“Thou hast a fever on thy brain, sir cavalier. It ill- 
beseemeth one of gentle- blood to stoop to unmaidenly 
frowardness. Nattie will conduct thee to Mother Ship- 
ley’s. God speed thee on thy journey.” 

Sir Jasper moved painfully over the broken pathway. 
It was yet four hours to daylight when they reached the 
postern gate. The wounded man said : “Thou art a 
well-conditioned youth. Thou hast the wisdom of a 
man.” Having made this brave speech, the messenger 
said : “Tarry with me the night.” 

“It may not be, sir. Dantima’s streets are not for such 
as I when darkness comes apace. It is so written in the 
burg’s decrees.” 

“I will not press thee, lad ; go thy way.” 

The wounded nobleman moved painfully along the dark 
streets. At times he leaned heavily on his sword as if to 
strengthen the steadiness of his walk. Thus he reached 
the inn, threw himself upon the bed, overcome by fatigue. 
He slept till the sun was high in the heaven! The fol- 
lowing morning he arose very much refreshed. The 
healing lotions and salves of Mother Shipley were grate- 
ful to the bruises; the deft fingers mended the unseemly 
rents. He ordered his good steed. 

“Come, sir cavalier, and thou departest without so much 
as saying a good day. Thankful shouldst thou be that 


22 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


thou livest to tell the tale. Thou are the first that ere 
came thence alive.” 

“Why, thou ill-mannered churl, am I a mountebank 
that ye thus stare. The devil has marked thee for his 
own. Thou hast on thy breast a strange white letter of 
the foul fiend’s own invention, which thou wilt carry to 
thy dying day. All the holy water in Dantima’s cathedral 
will not wash it out.” 

“I bethink me the lad and maiden did look wonderingly 
at me.” 

The King’s messenger threw a golden piece upon the 
table and ordered four gallons of the lady’s best brewing, 
which the loungers good-naturedly quafifed and drank to 
the courage of this soldier of fortune. 

With a genuine God-speed, he threw his right leg over 
the restless animal, straightened his body in the saddle, 
and soon the regular beat of his horse’s hoofs was a mem- 
ory in Dantima. The distance to London was a good 
score of leagues. He turned over and over in his brain the 
strange incidents that crowded into such a brief period of 
his existence. The strange white letter was a devil to 
glare at him. He placed his silken doublet over it. The 
fabric seemed as glass, because it glowed the brighter. 
In good sooth, the baleful sign was eating its way into his 
brain. 

He accomplished the King’s mission, yet fearful was the 
cost. The adventure that would have honored a knight 
of the round-table became a source of regret. The comely 
face of the damsel haunted him. The mystery that sur- 
rounded the cottage on the cliff, the familiar objects he 
had seen a score of times, confirmed the suspicion that 
the King maintained. Down deep in his heart he made 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


23 


a knightly vow to keep sacredly the promise he gave to 
the maiden and thus lose the King’s favor. ^‘Well, so 
let it be,” he morosely sighed. 


24 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


CHAPTER III. 

THE CUSTOM HOUSE OFFICER AND THE ADMIRAL CLOSETED. 

The King’s customs’ gatherer gazed stupidly at the re- 
tiring figure of the young nobleman and muttered with 
that thickness of speech that the wine produced : “A fool 
for the devil! And I am a sinner if he seeth daylight! 
Well ! well ! he kept his counsel, and I am none the wiser.” 
As the shades deepened he sank to rest in his great arm- 
chair. 

The next morning the energies that beer and tobacco 
enthralled were fairly active. This awakening was some- 
thing of a revelation to Rudolf, whose attenuated frame 
and joints worked by sections. His master actually sat 
erect and gave one order, to countermand it at the next 
breath, until the overgrown clerk sat down in that be- 
wilderment that modesty induces. 

“Nattie! Nattie! come here, my boy. Run, fly to pier 
No. 9. A boat will row thee to the ships. Come back, 
Nattie. Are thou sure thou understandeth me?” 

The boy looked at the bundle of papers that were open 
and then at the speaker, and drawled out : “Yes, sir.” 

“Be off with thee as fast as thy slim legs may carry 
thee ! Stay ! my good little man ; give them to no one but 
the officer that asks for them.” 

Nattie obeyed his instructions to the letter, for he 
passed down the street on a swift run. When he reached 
the pier, instead of mounting the steep steps he passed 
under the stout stanchions and eagerly read each line of 
the despatches. The half-witted expression on his face 
was gone. Sound sense beamed in every look as he 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


25 


hastily refolded the document and returned it to the 
wrapper, glided from his secure retreat, climbed to the top 
of the pier and waved to and fro the package of papers he 
held in his hand. 

The regular dipping of oars drifted across the water. 
The King’s good seamen sent the boat alongside and took 
the lad on board. With a strong, pull they returned to 
the man-of-war and drifted astern ready to obey the sec- 
ond command of the superior officer. 

Nattie climbed up the stair gangway and moved across 
the deck to where a group of officers were standing. One 
of them took the package and went below, remarking as 
he went: “Wait here a moment, my lad; I have an an- 
swer to send back.” During the interim the widow’s 
son gazed curiously around at the orderly arrangement 
of the deck, the triangular pile of cannon balls by the side 
of each gun (whose bright side glistened in the sun), 
looked warlike. The boy noted that the tompions of the 
guns were removed. He noted that the deck was sanded 
and everything cleared for action. 

Nattie was soon skimming over the waters of the bay 
with the sealed package in his hand, which he delivered 
to the custom-house officer. “Yes ! yes ! my boy, thou art 
tired and out of breath. Sit down and rest.” 

“Nattie, I may want to use thee once more. Be thou 
within call, laddie. Dost hear?” 

The tramping of many feet outside aroused this officer 
to a more energetic line of action. Again he sung out: 
“Nattie, run to the door; dost thou see any movement in 
the fleet?” 

“Yes, sir; the admiral and some of his officers are land- 
ing at the wharf. How their epaulets glisten in the sun !” 

“An admiral, didst thou say, good lad?” 


26 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


“Aye, sir. I e’en heard it from the sailors that did row 
me to the ship. Here they are at thy door.” 

“Be thou within earshot, my boy. I will e’en make an 
admiral of thee.” 

Nattie gave his wolfish canine friend a signal that the 
dog understood, for he stretched his shaggy side full 
length on the stone floor, while his young master pillowed 
his unkempt head on the hound’s chest and feigned drows- 
iness. 

While a sentinel paced forwards and backwards' along 
the gloomy hall this group of seamen were closeted with 
His Majesty’s mountain of obesity. They cast inquiring 
glances at the sleeping boy and dog. The custom-house 
officer quieted their suspicious thoughts by remarking: 

“Don’t mind him. He is as deaf as a cannon rammer, 
and all at sea in his maintop rigging. What plan of ac- 
tion thinkest thou is best, that good King Charles may 
profit thereby, to the damnation of this traitor’s soul. If 
thou boldest thy good ships within the bay the quarry will 
scent the trap, and sea room will make a jest of thy good 
vigilance. Thinkest thou not so excellencies ?” 

“It is this that brought us hither to this old rookery. 
The damp and mold of ages do hang upon its walls. It 
hath a ghostly flavor that maketh my very flesh to creep ; 
so let us be brief, good friends. Where is thy harbor 
chart, good man? I would mark the shoalings that skirt 
the bay.” 

“Rudolf! hast thou such a tracing. If thou hast such 
a parchment, in the King’s good name, produce it.” 

The musty parchment was spread upon the table and 
same was closely inspected by the group o£ officers who 
gathered around the chart. 

“It is impossible to base a line of action on this piece of 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


27 


antiquity,” the admiral exclaimed, with a slight accent 
of disgust in his speech. “Hast thou nothing better?” 

The officers of the men-of-war returned to their boats, 
and pulled for the ships that tugged at their lines, as the 
tide rose and fell. When darkness hid the shore line, they 
weighed anchor and sailed out with the tide. The war- 
dogs stood well into the headland where the channel was 
narrowest. There they cruised up and down under an 
easy press of canvas, waiting for the ship they were to 
intercept. 

The shadows of evening warned Nattie that the loved 
ones across the lonely glen were watching for his re- 
turn with more than ordinary interest. At every step 
through the crowded streets the boy was halted. He had 
the same answer for all. He smiled as he listened to the 
epithets that followed his retreating footsteps. When the 
walls of the city were behind him he quickened his gait 
and climbed the steep hill, and was folded in his mother’s 
arms. 

“Father is coming !” the boy shouted with delight. He 
seated himself by the side of his mother, and while she 
brushed back the tangled hair from his forehead he re- 
lated the events of the day that were stirring enough to 
pale the sweet face with anxious fear. 

“Don’t be alarmed, mother. Well thou knowest that 
father is too good a sailor to be caught in such a flimsy 
net.” 

“The men-of-war in the bay are well armed. Your 
papa’s ship will be no match for them at close quarters, 
I fear me, my son.’^ 

“True, mother, I would not give one of father’s guns 
for all they show in broadside. The stern chaser well 
served would sink both ships, so cheer up, mamma. 


28 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


Father is sailing as straight towards us as the compass 
can point.” 

“But, my son, if he sails straight into the bay his long 
range gun will be of little use.” 

“Why should he sail into the bay? Hast thou forgot- 
ten the signals?” 

“I thought we would never need them, my son. The 
danger that surrounds us made me forgetful. I wish that 
the mission that sent us hither was ended.” 

“Look alive, mamma, darkness is upon us, and darkness 
it is. How fortunate for us that it is so. Pull down the 
green shades for the two outside windows, and the two 
red ones for the middle windows, while I sweep the 
horizon for papa’s three red light signals.” 

It was well toward midnight, and still no success re- 
warded their anxious watchfulness. 

“Hist! mother. He is coming with a straight keel to 
us! No! he has seen the danger signals and is luffing. 
He has put out all of the lights and will be with us in 
an hour.” 

“What are the King’s ships doing? Canst thou see 
their lights, my son ?” 

“Father is leading them a merry chase. They stand 
well out to sea, while papa makes a clean run for the 
cliff.” 

The gurgling waves as they were cloven by the keel 
of some ship told the watchers that all was well. Nattie 
gave the spyglass to his mother, ran out into the night, 
and turned the windlass of an unused well. Two low 
whistles came from under the ground, and the brave boy 
was embraced with the warmth his courage deserved. 

“I see, Nattie, thou didst not forget my instructions. 
God bless thee for the care thou hast taken of thy mother 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


29 


and sister during my absence. The signal of danger 
saved me from a very unpleasant situation. I saw their 
binnacle lights, and they saw mine. They were out-ma- 
neuvred while I passed between them and escaped.” 

“How fortunate we were when we secured this ghost- 
ridden cottage. Hast thou seen aught to distress thee? 
No goblins to make the night hideous?” 

“None, my husband. These ghostly tales are not 
myths, I do assure thee. Already the King’s messenger 
felt their awful power. Bruised and sore he rode straight 
back to London with a strange white letter on his breast 
of the devil’s own marking.” 

“What thou tellest smacketh of witchcraft. Namest 
thou this messenger of the King?” 

“Sir Jasper, if it pleaseth thee. A cavalier of noble 
parts. Fear hath no domain in his heart.” 

“God wot but this disturbeth me sorely, for he is fear- 
less and bold; an enemy to be dreaded, since he gave 
his knightly word that the rights of hospitality should 
be silence. Well, so let it be. I fear not the powers of 
His Majesty’s minions.” 

“Nattie, when thou seest a rosary hanging on the left 
arm of the cross in the grotto, come and tell me. Now 
go to thy duty, that suspicion may sleep.” 

Nattie gave no sign that happiness was in his heart. He 
came and went with a listlessness that was convincing. 
The third day he notified his father that the rosary was 
on the arm of the stone cross. The captain of the name- 
less vessel moved cautiously through the silent glen, and 
met the agent from London. While these two men ex- 
changed packages, Nattie and the dog guarded the try st- 
ing place with a watchful care. For a good hour these 
outlawed friends sat together. Then each went on his 


30 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


dangerous way, mindful of his duty to the cause he es- 
poused ; a cause that was not measured by worldly honor. 

The mysterious vessel waited for the darkness of the 
moon. Then she departed under the noses of the shotted 
guns. 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


31 


CHAPTER IV. 

THE king's messenger IS BANISHED FROM COURT. 

When Sir Jasper reached London, he rode at a sharp 
trot to his abode. The curious stares that met him at 
every turn made him timid where he should be bold. 
Very deliberately he exchanged his travel worn raiment 
for robes of the court, because King Charles was sensi- 
tively punctilious in such observances. The King’s favor 
was the bread upon which this nobleman thrived, for 
this reason, he spared no pains to bedeck his person with 
that which would be pleasing to His Majesty. 

How he cursed the fatal letter that seemed to glovr 
with a white intensity that was appalling. Well he knew 
that this devil’s charm would cost him, perhaps, the loss 
of his head, or still worse, the loss of His Majesty’s favor. 
His reluctant steps fell softly on the paved halls of the 
palace as he made his way to the grand salon. The gay 
and profligate court stared as Sir Jasper entered the 
throne room where the King was receiving some am- 
bassadors from a foreign court. 

A pleased smile played upon the King’s face as Sir 
Jasper advanced and bended lowly at the foot of the 
throne. He bended lowly, because he wished to conceal 
the fatal mark upon his breast. 

“Thanks, Sir Jasper, thou hast our gracious ac- 
knowledgment for a duty so promptly performed. Did 
aught of advepture bring thee surcease for the ride? 
Didst thou break a lance for some fair maiden’s favor?” 

Every word was a wound, though spoken in jest. 
Bowing low to hide the devil’s mark he replied : 


32 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


'‘Nothing of adventure, Your Majesty. My good 
steed was sorely jaded by the journey. I delivered the 
despatches. Here is the custom house officer’s receipt 
for the package.” 

The King noted not the strange mark on Sir Jasper’s 
breast until an exclamation from the Queen directed the 
King’s attention to Sir Jasper’s silken doublet. How bit- 
terly this nobleman cursed the dazzling whiteness of the 
fatal letter, that glowed with all of the intenseness of a 
sun-lighted snowbank. 

“Sir Jasper, thou hast our sore displeasure. Thou 
comest in masquerade to mock the gratitude thou hast 
so richly earned, and thus thou makest a jester’s holiday 
of our royal court. God wot such a pleasantry had cost 
many a gentler heart his head.” 

“Kneeling before Your Majesty, I crave the indul- 
gence of your royal will. Far be it from this loyal heart 
to masquerade to your Grace’s displeasure. Alas ! sire, 
this cursed mark is not of my choosing. The foul fiend 
did reward idle curiosity, to make a wreck of future 
years.” 

“Verily, Sir Jasper, this be more marvelous happening 
than ere befell the truest knight of King Arthur’s court. 
Tell to us this strange adventure, and thou shalt have re- 
instatement to our royal favor.” 

“Your Majesty, I have naught to relate.” 

“Naught to tell? Then how stands yon sign upon thy 
breast ?” 

“Your Majesty can as well explain the cause, for I wot 
not what evil power so marked me.” 

“Sir Jasper, it is our royal will that thou fallest from 
our high grace this day, and the punishment be banish- 


33 


A CHEQUERED DE STINY. 

ment from our presence till yon clownish mark is well 
removed.” 

'‘Then, sire, I say to thee farewell. There beats no 
true or more loyal heart within thy realm. This sign 
will teach to me that even kings forget that duty should 
be honored, since misfortune crowned me at thy com- 
mand.” 

Not a ripple marked the spot where high ambition 
drowned, it was a dream of yesterday. He bowed lowly 
to the throne and vanished from the courtly throng. His 
absence was scarcely marked. The revelry of this mon- 
arch’s court was a jest for the roundheads, whose psalm 
singing made life a painful duty; a graveyard where 
pleasure was buried. 

With hasty strides he reached his apartments in wait- 
ing, dismissed his equerry and attendants, and seated in 
a luxurious seat, he pondered deeply over his future. 
The ingratitude of the King came back to him with a 
four-fold power. There was naught to soothe his 
wounded vanity. The hard, cold future stared him in the 
face, and the future must be the touchstone to test his 
manhood. Involuntarily, he tightened his sword belt. 
The old love of adventure came back to him. 

“Come to me, thou art mine,” kept knocking at the 
door of his imagination. Again he felt the soft arms 
around his neck. He dreamed and dreamed until a soft 
rap on the door recalled his wandering thoughts. 

“Thou art here, my gracious Queen? I would serve 
thee unto the end of my life, and then ’twere cheaply 
bought, since life and banishment are twin brothers that 
travel on misfortune’s road.” 

“Sir Jasper, my heart pleads for thy reinstatement to 
His Grace’s favor. Right well I know some honorable 


34 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


motive seals thy lips to thy disfavor. Give me thy con- 
fidence, that all may be well.” 

“Your Grace, the King will bethink him when he stands 
in strong need of friends that this loyal heart will be at 
his service. By to-morrow’s sunrise I shall be on the 
road to Dantima. Right gladly do I honor His 
Majesty’s command, since this letter on my breast is my 
bannered guerdon. It blazes with an unholy light to 
make a scarecrow of my presence.” 

“In good sooth, I wish that His Majesty’s kingdom 
were filled with such loyal hearts. Thy silence is noble. 
In serving thy manhood, thou servest thy Queen. Be 
true to the vow thou hast made, and Heaven will direct 
thy steps. And now farewell till brighter days shall 
dawn on England.” 

Alone and dispirited, he reached the mansion of Lilly 
the Astrologer. This singular man sat in his study, sur- 
rounded by the paraphernalia and instruments of his pro- 
fession. When Sir Jasper entered he was seated by a 
dignified movement of the astrologer’s right hand. 

“Thou art Lilly, the wizard, and I mistake me not ?” 

“Even so as thou sayest. How can I serve thee, good 
friend ?” 

“Tell me of this strange character on my breast. Re- 
move it and thou mayest name thy price. It is a curse to 
me.” 

“I have no such power, my good friend. I could e’en 
cast thy horoscope.” 

“A horoscope sayest thou. Canst thou say aught of the 
future to the unraveling of this mystery. In good sooth, 

I would say thee amen.” 

“The horoscope is valueless for such a purpose.” 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


35 


“Canst thou tell the origin of this letter, if a letter 
it be.” 

“Never have these eyes rested upon such a character 
before. In good truth, it is most ancient.” 

“Stay ! sir nobleman, get thee where the strange mark- 
ing came to thee. The evil one that so marked thee alone 
can remove it.” 

This courtier’s ownings were speedily transferred to 
the pawnshop. A trebble score of golden sovereigns were 
placed in his purse. Again was he on the highway to 
Dantima. The crowded thoroughfares of London were 
behind him; consequently the stares of idle curiosity 
were a provoking memory. Dantima was before him 
with its 'possibilities. The sweet face of the cliff maiden 
came to him as some bright picture, and his heart glowed 
with a more tender feeling. The letter would be no ghost 
to haunt her fancy. 

He even hummed the air of a love ditty as he passed 
along the lonely road. Thus he beguiled the time till 
his stout steed drew up at the one gate of the ancient 
burgh, the one gate that was oak-ribbed and strength- 
ened with a hundred iron bolts. The same family had 
been its keeper for numberless generations, until it was 
regarded as the exclusive right that succession be- 
queathed. 

“Comest thou from the King, sir cavalier? Else thou 
gainest no admission here.” While they were thus dis- 
coursing, the burghers stood with their arms crossed, 
which was likened to the meditation in prayer. This 
nettled the high spirit of this soldier of fortune, who ex- 
claimed : 

“Out upon thee for a set of brainless knaves. Wot 
ye not how this cursed sign came to me. I am not in 


36 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


league with the evil one. If ’tis not to Dantima’s liking, 
then must Dantima bear the ill. Thy boorishness is in 
need of civil training.’’ 

The frosty air of the country, and the long ride, made 
Mother Shipley’s fare tasteful. As the shadows of 
evening cast their lengths over the massive walls of the 
town, this forlorn cavalier slept in the best bed; with its 
tall posts and linen sheets. 

The morning was well advanced to the noon hour when 
he betook himself to the Custom House. He went there 
because he had nowhere to go. A feeling of gloom was 
over his life. ’Tis true that the burghers cared little for 
his present troubles ; still less did they care for the ghostly 
letter on his breast. He contrasted the life of a courtier 
with the life as it existed in Dantima. Existence was in- 
tolerable to this cavalier. Anything to banish the tire- 
some present. For this reason he entered the tall arch- 
way, crossed the hall, and stood in the presence of the 
King’s collector. 

The gruff voice of this worthy personage greeted the 
cavalier with : “Welcome it is to thee, sir cavalier. And 
dost thou bring despatches from our good King? Ill a 
day that we failed to catch the wary ocean bird. His 
Majesty’s sore displeasure will fall heavily upon 
Dantima.” 

‘T tell thee, officer, ’twas ill a day when I galloped in 
post-haste to this ghostly burgh. Despatches have I none. 
Matters other than affairs of state sent my lagging will 
to this graveyard of promise. I would that the foul 
fiend should remove from my breast this, scarecrow 
mark.” 

“One way that I wot of cometh to my brain: drown 
thyself for a fool. Still another way : hang thyself to the 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


37 


nearest limb ; thou wilt be a quit with the devil, and thus 
pay the debt.” 

“By our lady, thou art a kind counselor, forsooth. I 
will e’en wed the maiden that liveth on the cliff. A 
rarely good benedict will I be. This mark will insure a 
certain knowledge of my whereabouts that none can 
gainsay.” 

“A fool’s adventure that brought a fool’s reward.” 

“This is all thou canst promise to me, that hope may 
live again?” 

“Beshrew thee. Sir Jasper, seek thou the monks in yon 
old Cathedral. The legend cometh in this wise : holy 
water and a monkish cowl will hide that which thou 
seekest to destroy. From human eyes only, mark ye ; no 
power that I wot mortal can promise thee deliverance 
from such as thou bearest on thy bosom.” 

“Right glad am I that thou tellest me thus much. I 
will hasten to the fathers in yon monastic pile, and seek 
some spiritual consolation. Much I stand in need of 
certain churchly rites that have been too long neglected.” 

With a hope in his heart, a single hope that quickened 
his pulse-beats, he entered the gloomy portals of the 
Cathedral of Dantima. 

Two persons were kneeling at the altar. One was the 
widow Deycourt, the other was Florette, the widow’s 
daughter. The light that sifted through the tall stained 
glass windows was dim. As he became accustomed to the 
subdued light the outlines of the maiden’s face came to 
him with a new force. It is true that he knelt submis- 
sively, yet his heart was not weaned from the ways of the 
flesh. The knee joints were stiffened by pride, and the 
tall form that was straight as a long shaft from a bow 
bended slowly to the Church’s discipline. 


38 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


“Sweet maiden, pardon thou the boldness of a stranger. 
Pray for me to yon sweet mother. Pier eyes do melt my 
heart with grace. Be as gentle as her eyes, and pray that 
this fatal letter be removed, for it has wrecked my life.’' 

“Nay, sir, such may not be. Father Leonard is in the 
sacristy. Prayers more potent than mine shall shrive 
phee of the marking. Thou art the King’s messenger. 
Thou hast all the sympathy of my heart. ’Twas a rash, 
though brave adventure, but blame me not, ’twas of thy 
choosing.” 

“Knowest thou, maiden, that the keeping of my vow to 
thee lost me the King’s favor? Thy secret is safely 
locked within this breast. Thou hast my knightly word 
for the promise.” 

“Surely thou hast a maiden’s grateful thanks for thy 
loyal regard that I return in kind. Come to us at the 
grotto at any time that pleaseth thee.” 

When the penitents departed, Father Leonard came 
forward, and with gentle speech he said : “My son, 
what is thy wish? By thy dress thou art a cavalier of 
King Charles; comest thou in his name?” 

“Father, I would be rid of this satan’s mark. It 
scorcheth my pride so sorely that I am crazed with grief.” 

“Nay! nay! thy pride alone is wounded, yet thou art 
more blessed than those who wear the letter in their 
hearts, which letter the world may never see. The letter 
on thy breast has isolated thee from the world. Thy in- 
ward heart is pure, though the outward sign is unholy.” 

“Father, I pray thy good offices, and speedily.” 

“Wouldst thou forsake the flesh and the devil, and 
enter the priesthood of thy free will? Think well, my 
son, ’tis a solemn vow that may not be lightly broken.” 

“The sooner the better, holy father. Give me some 
healing salve for this grievous happening.” 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


39 


CHAPTER V. 

THE WIDOW DEYCOURT GATHERING EVIDENCE. 

The disfavor of Dantima fell heavily upon the widow 
and her daughter. The edicts of Council, passed in solemn 
conclave, decreed that these two women be prohibited 
from entering the gateway of this ancient town. The 
penalty for the infringement of this recent law was 
death. Nattie, by reason of unsound mind, was exempted 
from the exactions that were brutal in their very nature. 
They were thus cut off from the privilege that was a 
source of happiness to them. 

Thus, “The Grotto of Our Lady” became their only 
sanctuary. Morning and evening they repaired to the 
holy spot and offered up cheir prayers for the absent one, 
prayers for the success of their mission. 

Nattie was untiring in his search for the property 
whose possession would make them truly happy. He 
worked so adroitly that no suspicion was directed to the 
dark corners that he had overhauled. His industry was 
rewarded by a genuine discovery. This particular pack- 
age was green with mould; the contents were securely 
wrapped in a sailor’s pea-jacket. The bundle was fas- 
tened with two broad leathern bands that had once been 
used for belts. 

With eager haste the widow and her children un- 
strapped the bundle and sought for the prized evidence. 
“My son,” she said, “the package of letters is not in the 
pocket of this coat where it should be. Alas ! that I say 
so, all our danger and persecution is for naught.” 

“Say not so, my mother. One fact is established. The 


40 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


person that owned this unclaimed baggage is buried in 
the graveyard on the brow of yon hill.” 

“How knowest thou this, my son?” 

“It is so written in the records. These two eyes have 
seen the recording thereof. Cheer up, mother, there may 
be a second bundle not far from where this was found. 
I can at least locate the grave. A double score have I 
already overhauled. Patiently have I scraped the mould 
from the graven letters; the mould that it is Time’s re- 
ceipt for forgetfulness.” 

“If the lone grave is unmarked, what then, my son?” 

“I do not mind the trouble, success will repay me a 
hundred fold. Thou knowest what papa said : ‘Stand by 
thy guns.’ I know that bundle of letters would have 
ended all of our misfortune. I may find it elsewhere.” 

The following morning, ere the slothful burghers were 
awake, the boy forced his way through the lonesome 
glen, and reached the graveyard by a circuitous way. 
He climbed over the ruined wall. The iron gate was 
fastened with a chain. Such protection was little needed. 
No footfall had disturbed the grass-grown lane for many 
years. 

With a piece of metal the lad moved from tombstone 
to tombstone. He was free from the fear of detection. 
The tall weeds befriended him. Untiringly the bit of 
iron freshened the histories of generations. A fourth of 
the graves were unexplored. Still he sat, patiently seek- 
ing for the unknown grave. A storm was brewing. The 
patter and plash of scattering rain drops caused him to 
seek shelter in the ruined chapel that stood in one cor- 
ner of the enclosure. The owls and bats that sought pro- 
tection within its ancient walls beat their fingered, web- 
feathered wings on his face. They powdered his clothes 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


41 


with fine dust as he seated himself in the chancel and 
waited for the storm to pass. 

He noticed that the bats decreased in numbers, until 
the dusty air was clearer. Whither had they flown? In 
what part of the ruins had they concealed themselves? 
With a boy’s curiosity, he sought to find their hiding 
place. The long reed that he held in his hand was thrust 
into each cavity on the sides. A slight crumbling of 
brick and mortar followed each prod of the stick. Then 
the slender stem was pushed into an opening of the chan- 
cel floor. The rod slipped from his fingers and disap- 
peared. 

He watched the bats as they came out of the narrow 
opening in the rear wall. The opening was large enough 
to admit his body. He stood in the crypt of this ancient 
chapel. The communion service of silver was black and 
discolored with age. The musty registers were scattered 
loosely around. A glad cry came to his lips, as he con- 
veyed the first batch to the cottage on the cliff. 

Pleasantly the long evenings were spent on the Devil’s 
Elbow. Nattie, his mother and Florette carefully dusted 
the parchments, lest a letter be erased, or a name oblit- 
erated. The births, marriages and deaths were recorded 
with a scholarly hand. As yet these records failed to give 
up the evidence so material to success. Untiringly they 
pored over the compact columns, a roll call of the silent 
majority. Nattie clapped his hands in a boyish manner 
as he turned a page and pointed his finger to a name. 

'‘Here is the record, mamma ; our work is ended. The 
storm did us a good turn. I will not be sorry to sail from 
this gloomy port.” 

“Would that such were the case ; the bundle of missing 
letters is worth a hundred such finds. Do not think I 


42 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


am ungrateful, my son ; misfortune has made thee a man 
in years; thy youth has been blighted. Perhaps in later 
years thou wilt understand what I hint at darkly now. 
Look ye, Nattie, that old green bags from London will 
be here, or rather I should say, that he will be in Dantima 
to-morrow. Be vigilant, and lead him away from the ob- 
ject of his visit.” 

Bright and early the following morning, the widow’s 
son was at the gateway, whose solid arch of masonry 
towered above him. This entrance to the town was 
closed. The sleepy keepers were governed by no law, and 
the hum of industry had not yet disturbed the stolid dig- 
nity of these good burghers. 

A little cloud of dust far up the road quickened the 
boy’s perceptive faculties. Evidently the beast was' 
jaded, or the supply of provender failed to hasten the 
arrival of the stranger. With a gentle amble the brute 
moved around broadside to where the boy was standing 
and meekly drooped his ears of unusual length on his 
neck. His vigorous bray rang like a blast from Gabriel’s 
recording trumpet. 

From the embrasured port-hole above the gate four 
cropt heads looked out with some alarm. The great 
oaken door swung on its hinges and the beginning of 
another day’s anxiety fell upon Dantima. This person 
that cautiously dismounted was a different person from 
the cavalier that rode at a breakneck speed and demanded 
entrance in the King’s name. This latest arrival planted 
one foot upon the ground with some uncertainty, as if to 
assure himself that the land had not been removed by an 
earthquake. When he had assured his judgment that 
this was terra-firma, the other foot followed in the same 
cautious manner. 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


43 


When both feet were planted squarely on the earth, he 
shook out the numbness that cramped his thin legs, threw 
the reins over his arm, and followed Nattie to the inn. 
“Don’t go, my son, that is a good lad. I want you to 
show me the way to the Custom House.” 

This counselor’s face was a perfect type of wit and 
shrewdness. The restless gray eyes were constantly in 
motion and rolled from right to left, as if they feared 
some valuable information would escape them. 

His Roman nose stood out boldly from this counselor’s 
face in a very unusual manner. In fact it was the most 
prominent feature of the man’s face. The shrunken 
cheeks and deep caverned eyes made this deformity more 
noticeable. A thin beard covered his throat. His hair 
was fastened with a cue. A long black bag was fastened 
to his belt by an fron chain of modest proportions. When 
he finished the frugal meal he sat awhile to rest the tired 
body, and gazed into the street in an abstracted way. 

“Come, my lad, I am ready ; the sooner at it, the sooner 
over it. I want to get away from the graveyard damp- 
ness of this strange town that God seems to have for- 
gotten. My bones ache now with the very prospect of 
passing a night here. Forward at once to the Custom 
House.” 

He followed Nattie across the square and then around 
the old Cathedral, to the government building. It was 
amusing to see the way this agent went over the magnifi- 
cent proportions of the King’s tax-gatherer. These 
stares of curiosity fretted the mountain of fat, who drew 
an extra whiff of tobacco smoke from the bowl of his 
pipe and sent it straight into the throat of the ill-man- 
nered visitor, who coughed violently for five minutes, and 


44 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


rushed to the entrance. When he returned to the charge, 
there was a merry twinkle in his eyes, as he croaked : 

“Which is the Custom House and which is the steeple?” 

“I am the Custom House ” 

“Is the Custom House within?” 

“Yes, what dost thou want?” 

“Egad ! the storage capacity is ample for England and 
her dependencies.” Casting his shrewd eyes to where 
Rudolf was standing, he continued : “The steeple timber 
runs to extra lengths. Thou hast never rain here, hast 
thou?” 

“Yes, why should we not have rain? From thy 
shrunken parts, it seemeth to me that water was scarce 
where thou wast hatched.” 

“It is a physical impossibility; yon tower splits the 
clouds, else am I mistaken?” 

“Out with thy mission and begone, thou fool. Enough 
of thy legal wit. Thou art as edged as some wise saw. 
The King’s true servant will not suffer from over feed- 
ing on such parlance.” 

“Easy there, thou rude of speech, knowest thou not 
that I come by authority from the King?” 

“His Majesty hath fools for the naming. I would that 
the devil had placed his seal upon thy prodigious nose.” 

The counselor fumbled in his black bag for a moment 
and drew therefrom an order permitting him to examine 
certain packages that had been over long in mildew and 
neglect. This he handed to the officer, who in turn 
passed it to Rudolf, with this remark: “Rudolf, show 
thou this pettifogger fair attention. He cometh from 
court. It is a courtesy due His Majesty.” 

The seeker after information made a sign to Nattie to 
follow. “My lad, here is a good round shilling, and thou 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


45 


helpest me to handle this vile stuff that is black with age.’’ 

Nattie with his usual shrewdness diverted the attention 
of this visitor from the unclaimed packages that he had 
not examined to the pile he overhauled, while Rudolf 
repaid the merciless wit in kind. 

“I hope, Sir Baizebags, that thou wilt pardon the 
neglect on my side, a neglect that may cost thee thy life. 
Some of the baggage thou hast handled is marked, ‘small- 
pox,’ or I am an ass.” 

“Thou villain ! and thou toldest me not of this ? Here 
have I spent a good two hours in this search.” 

“I thought in fair sooth the foul markings wouldst 
add to thy beauty, and make that nose picturesque in its 
ruggedness. Thus, good stranger, a slight roughness of 
thy rough nose, that resembles some towering cliff, 
might, in good King Charles’ name, reach up to the 
steeple that splits the clouds. 

“Thou art safe for a good nine days. The lesson will 
teach to thee some fair manners, and prove an excellent 
remedy for senseless wit that does not spare the feelings 
of others, who have not been so fortunate in possessing 
such a valuable piece of property as thy nose.” 

“Come, good clerk, I meant thee no harm ; thou canst 
do me a service in this matter by turning to thy records 
for these dates. A full year’s time would be the price of 
this searching among these piles of filth and disease.” 

“The letters and documents thou searchest for mayhap 
were burned.” 

“Art thou sure, good youth, that the packages so dated 
and numbered were destroyed in the manner thou speak- 
estof?” 

“I said not so, thou foul fiend of the law, as this poor 
lad duly witnesseth, and wouldst thou have me before 


46 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


the King’s bench for perjury? Out upon thee for a 
knave.” 

The barrister’s eyes gave a pleasurable twinkle of 
satisfaction as they merrily glanced from post to pillar, 
just as if his mind was measuring their massive height. 
His fingers were firmly interlaced. This leverage gave to 
the palms of his hands a shifting motion, pleasant, be- 
cause the nervous friction gave a warm glow to these cold 
extremities. 

“Well ! well !” the visitor bantered, “it is a matter of no 
concern if, as thou sayest, they were destroyed by fire.” 

“Again thou best, old Belzebub, thou best in thy throat, 
and I said not such. Well thou knowest it may be e’en 
now in yon pile. Is it fair duty that ye shirk? Go to, 
thou tormenter of evidence.” 

“Thanks for thy assistance. Our good King Charles 
must be e’en congratulated for the having of such able 
servants. Right well thou knowest that I shall make 
proper mention of this issue.” 

“Add to this, my humble request that His Majesty 
send to Dantima a man of gentle nurture, possessed of a 
civil tongue. One in good sooth that hath kind regard 
for the meanest of his subjects.” 

“Verily, good youth, thou hast the making of a courtier 
in thy bones. Such speech .smacketh of a gentler breed- 
ing. With this endeth our investigation.” The barrister 
retraced his steps, and by devious windings reached the 
graveyard that Nattie had so patiently overhauled. The 
long thin limbs of this old law-bags dangled from the 
inner face of the low-walled enclosure. An air of solemn 
meditation gave to his thoughts a gentler turn as he 
soliloquized : 

“A poor fool am I to hie me hither on such a mission, 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


47 


and for the trouble receive a fool’s pay from this titled 
lady. My good donkey shall bear me hence within the 
hour. The apothecary’s vile lotions will be my reward 
for over-diligence.” 

He climbed down from the ruined wall, gave one hope- 
less look at the regular rows of dead people, and re- 
turned to the hostelry, paid his tithing, and ambled along 
the road to London, thankful that the darkness of Dan- 
tima made not his lodging a pest-house of complaint. 

The regular lope of the donkey’s hoofs was only out 
of earshot e’er the hard pounding of a horse’s iron-shod 
feet drew nearer to the gateway. It was the evening 
hour. The sonorous voices from within the gate-keeper's 
lodge sounded sweetly on the quiet air, as they intoned 
a psalm from the Bible. 

“What ho there ! thou psalm-singing hypocrites. Have 
done with thy cant and open in the King’s good name.” 

“Have a civil tongue in thy head, thou of the devil’s 
breeding. Thy locks are womanish in the curl. Why 
comest thou not ere the day be done ? Knowest thou not 
the curfew rang this good hour ?” 

“Open, I say, or a full troop of His Majesty’s horse 
will e’en enforce the demand. As against thy law such 
threats are vanity.” 

“Sir cavalier, and sayest thou that such things be? 
Is strife then so near that blood-letting must follow in 
this commonwealth, where all is peace?” 

The young courtier paid no heed to this rude speech, 
but answered in this wise : “Come, good fellow, guide 
my steps to the Custom House, and leave such matters of 
state to thy King.” 

“I show thee not a good rood of the way. Find it for 
thyself, with thy ill-mannered tongue, if thou canst.” 


48 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


The courtier never dismounted, but cleared the low 
railing and rode at a sharp trot through the streets of 
Dantima. By dint of questioning he found the somber 
building, threw his rein to a bystander, and hurried along 
the passageways, until the sound of voices arrested his 
steps. He entered the main room that was used for 
sleeping purposes. It was used also for an office. He 
gave a look of supreme contempt at the huge proportions 
of the slumbering figure in the great armchair, and 
shouted in his ears : 

“Wake up, thou conglomeration of stupidity and fat; 
it is likely that thou wilt lose thy office, notwithstanding 
that smoke-stained parchment with the great seal of 
England upon it. The vessel landed under the noses of 
yon fine men-of-war. Thou hast done more damage to 
the cause of King Charles than thy unwieldy carcass 
could o’erbalance in the scale of duty with thrice thy 
added weight.” 

“Come, thou courier of the King, be not o’er boorish 
with thy speech; no ship entered this good port in a 
twelve day. Mayhap the devil was at the helm, and 
cometh in ghostly guise.” 

“ ’Tis passing strange the vessel bearing despatches 
was sighted in the offing, and sayest thou she ran not to 
this port ? Beshrew thee, man, thy wits need sharpening ; 
ale and smoke befoul thy reason.” 

“I will e’en have message with the fleet. If thou say- 
est, I tell to thee. Sir Cavalier, that His Majesty is in 
grievous error.” 

“Where is Sir Jasper? The King hath sore need of his 
loyal service ; let us have speech with him at once.” 

“Ask thyself the query. I withheld not good advice to 
him. Did he give good heed? I wot not.” 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


49 


'‘And thy advice?” 

“Kill thyself, Sir Jasper, and end the misery that prey- 
eth on thy vitals as some vulture that is not o’erfed.” 

“Thou dotard, it appealeth to me to strike thee with 
this good sword for thy insolence. England can ill spare 
such loyal hearts. Bestir thyself ; since thou art bedrid- 
den, let yon varlet seek him at once.” 

“I know not whereof he is.” 

“Find him ! find him ! ! It is the King’s command. God 
wot but I know little of this old burgh, and by faith 
I wish to know less.” 

“Rudolf, make thou all haste to find the King’s mes- 
senger, the one with the Devil’s mark upon his breast.” 

Within the hour the clerk returned and reported that 
horse and rider had disappeared. 

“And is it so? A sorry courier I will be to the King, 
with such report on my lips, and for my long ride a full 
share of abuse. Search till thou dost find him; tell him 
to ride post haste to court, the King hath sore need of 
his good offices.” This young gentlemtn vaulted into the 
saddle and dashed through the gateway at a furious pace, 
unheeding the curses that followed at safe distance. 


50 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


CHAPTER VI. 

THE king's messenger AND THE ALCHEMIST. 

The King’s messenger was lost to the world, was lost 
to his King, because he had taken holy orders. 

The cruel words of the King had wounded Sir Jasper 
deeply; the breach had widened beyond recall. He was 
buried in one of the cells of the monastery. He did not 
heed the hardness of the stone couch, or the humble fare, 
that consisted of brown bread and water. His vows were 
too solemn to be lightly broken, and in his loyal heart 
he struggled with all the temptations that would unbid- 
den fill his soul. The burning letter was hidden beneath 
his cowl, yet its influence came like some mocking devil, 
to make his vows a scourge that had a hundred leathern 
lashes. 

Daily he perfected himself in the duties of his holy 
office. The ritualistic ceremonies were quickly mastered. 
His new life was a real living life, yet try as he would, 
the fair face of the maiden came to him during the hours 
of his devotions, and the mysterious words, “Come to 
me, thou art mine,” stood out like the handwriting on the 
wall. It seemed to draw him onwards to restlessness. 
The words implanted in his mind a fulfillment of a rem- 
edy for a desperate disease. 

The shaven head of a priest was not to his liking; 
therefore he disobeyed the injunctions of Father Leonard, 
whose kindly heart and understanding told him that this 
cavalier monk would soon be recalled by the King, the 
Holy Church had other uses for this neophyte’s good 


51 


A CHEQUERE D DESTINY. 

sword in a wider field. For this reason the discipline of 
the order was relaxed. 

It was the young priest’s day in the confessional. 
Thankful he was for the seclusion of the sable curtain, 
with its little opening. For an hour he listened to the 
small foibles of life as they came from pentitent lips. The 
admonition, spoken with meek gentleness, relieved the 
sins of omission of those who sought spiritual consola- 
tion. The last footfall had sounded on the marble pave- 
ment. He gathered up his robes and was preparing to 
leave, when one of the youths came hastily to the con- 
fessional. 

'‘My son, confess thou quickly, for the hour is past. I 
would to my devotions with all haste.” 

“ ’Tis not for myself that I plead, Holy Father. One 
cometh who is denied this privilege ; remain thou for her 
good sake, and Heaven will bless thee.” 

“Thy name, good son?” 

“I am Carl, the alchemist’s boy.” 

“An alchemist in Dantima saidst thou? Mistakest thou 
not the word, good lad ; knowest thou what an alchemist 
is ?” 

“Holy Father, if years of bitter experience teach not 
the meaning of the term, then am I a fool. Want pinch- 
eth where diligent study o’ermasters sound judgment; the 
crucibles and retorts do glow with constant heat, and yet 
transmutation is a far-off dream.” 

“Fool that I was to don this priestly robe. Oh, Hate! 
thou art a servant of the devil, and haste flyeth with quick 
wings to mar the thoughts of yesterday. An alchemist 
in Dantima, and I knew it not. Good youth, hath thy 
father parchments that teach his mystical art ?” 

“The rarest in all England. Here cometh the penitent, 


52 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


good father; I will retire to yon solemn nave and await 
the coming of the maiden.’’ 

The cavalier monk’s head drooped slowly on the marble 
slab, where rested his rosary and prayer-book. “The devil 
is tempting me to the ruination of my vows. It is the 
maiden from the cliff that kneeleth to me in penitence. 
Blessed be this sombre curtain that hideth me from her 
eyes.” The voice of the fair girl came to him like the 
notes of some well-tuned lute. Naught said he lest the 
spell be broken. The pleading tones that reached his 
ears aroused him from the lethargy. “Father, hast thou 
no blessing for me?” 

“Yes, child; the blessing of God and Mary rest upon 
thee and thine.” 

“Nay, father, I would hear more ; for thy voice is music 
in my ears ; the voice comes back from happier days.” 

“Go, my daughter, go in peace.” 

The last echo of her voice melted into silence. It 
seemed to the priest that he was losing her forever; 
churchly vows and orders were forgotten in the mad 
whirl that rent his soul. A mad impulse brought him to 
her side. Faster her feet hastened along the paved way 
to the pier where a boat was waiting for her. Carl and 
Nattie were ready at the oarlocks ; then the rush of many 
feet, and the maiden was surrounded by a throng of 
zealots. 

The tall, muscular form of the priest was upon the mob. 
He seized an oar and laid about him so vigorously that 
the crowd fell back in some confusion. While the 
maiden’s rescuer lifted her into the boat, the great, fierce 
dog kept up a constant growling; the boys plied their 
oars and Florette was safe. 

Amidst the jeers of these roundheads he retired to his 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


53 


cell in the monastery, to think of the alchemist and his 
parchments. His duties to the church seemed far enough 
away from his busy thoughts. Some relief whispered to 
his heart a hope that grew brighter as he reasoned. 
Guiltily he crept forth from the sanctuary to find this 
strange man of wisdom, that dealt in the black art, so 
repugnant to the church’s teaching. 

The alchemist scarcely noticed the black-robed priest 
that came day after day to pore over the mystical learning 
of the East ; each was bent upon the fruition of his hopes, 
unmindful of the other’s presence. Thus time sped 
swiftly away, yet brought no relief to the monk. For 
weeks he traced the Hebrew characters back to their 
roots ; the most ancient Hebrew writings were overhauled 
to no purpose. He studied Greek and Latin inscriptions, 
hoping to find a counterpart to the letter on his breast; 
even the Egyptian mysteries came in for a scholarly in- 
spection. His intense application was unrewarded; the 
fatal letter still glowed beneath his cowl with an unholy 
power. The soft arms were yet around his neck; the 
same words, “Come to me, thou art mine,” were still 
ringing in his ears. 

The priest had not exhausted the source of informa- 
tion, the alchemist’s shelves were as yet scarcely touched. 
A suggestion from Carl’s father turned the tide of des- 
tiny. “I bethink me,” he said, “that the character on thy 
breast smacketh sharply of Arabian lore. This race was a 
learned race, that delved deeply in the occult ; seek ye dili- 
gently among the parchments at the end of this row, and 
my word for it that thou findest the meaning thereof.” 

Fresh with the promise of success, the monk delved 
yet deeper in the brown parchments from the burning 
sands of Arabia. A great thankful amen came bolster- 


54 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


ously from the feverish throat of this seeker as he spake : 
'‘Come hither, good alchemist, my heart is filled with joy; 
see, here is the character that meaneth much or little for 
me. Interpret thou the language ; I know not of such let- 
tering or of such lore.” 

“It is the science of astrology, of which I know little. 
Go thou to their country, the fountain-head of such learn- 
ing.” 

“What part of Arabia, thou thrice-blessed man; and 
may the devil torment him who harmeth thee or thine ?” 

“I see here Mecca, Medina, situated in Hedyez, Venus, 
and the Tropic of Cancer ; and last of all, Petra. Further, 
I cannot tell thee, because I am not a seer, nor wear the 
strange robes.” 

“Give me thy permission to make a neat copy, that it 
may guide my wanderings in this strange land of 
promise.” 

“As thou wilt, good monk. Knowest thou not the dan- 
gers? If the sands swallow thee not up, these fierce 
robbers that scour the wastes will make sure of thy de- 
struction.” 

“A fig for thy fears, good man. Is it not to my better- 
ment, good sir, that this letter be removed from my 
breast ? What is danger to the man that dareth all things 
for the daring?” 

“Have it as thou wilt, good monk; I will to my cruci- 
bles, and thou to thy destiny ; and now, farewell.” 

“Not so, friend ; take this purse, it containeth a treble 
score of bright sovereigns. Keep thou it for thy tem- 
porary wants, and yet thou art illy paid for the service 
rendered. It will mend thy temper and the replenished 
larger will make a brave peace within thy walls.” 

When the monk departed, the alchemist, unmindful of 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


55 


the treasure, returned to his idols, and the event was for- 
gotten. Not so with Sir Jasper. He placed the precious 
information within the folds of his cowl and hurried to 
his cell, where he sought his inkhorn and quill. Faith- 
fully he transcribed the token of astrology in an enduring 
manner. He had hardly placed the inkhorn and pen in 
its niche when Father Leonard entered and stood re- 
proachfully before the neophyte. 

‘Ts it thus, my son, that thou servest the church? 
Fie upon thee, thou dreamer. Hast thou so soon for- 
gotten the vows that bound thee to this order? There is 
work to do in God’s vineyard, and laborers are few. Go 
to the Grotto of Our Lady that thou mayst confess the 
gentle hearts that seek spiritual consolation; they have 
been deprived of this churchly privilege by the cruel hand 
of legal stupidity.” 

“Father, forgive thy truant son. Right well I feel this 
unworthiness that sits heavy on my soul, or is it that I 
am too worldly-minded for such holy offices? Couldst 
thou absolve me from the vow?” 

“In good sooth can I not absolve thee from the taking 
of the vow; no power on earth, save the Pope, the 
church’s Holy Vicar, can do this. Now to thy holy call- 
ing, as I bade thee.” 

“And the breaking of the law, good father? How 
sayest thou in this matter ; thou knowest the prohibition ?” 

“Tush ! My son, the church is more powerful than the 
law ; obey and fear not. Thy manly deed of the rescue is 
yet in my memory. God will bless thee for it, even to 
Dantima’s disliking.” 

When the father quitted the cell, the unhappy monk 
fell into a strange dreaming. The hard couch of stone 
seemed lighter than the luxurious drapery of the King’s 


56 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


chambers. Lying upon his back (with his gaze fixed 
upon the arched roof), the beauties and luxuries of the 
world came back to him with a double force. ‘T am 
young; what is the journeying of a thousand miles, with 
all of its strange adventure, to this unbearable woe, that 
eateth into my very soul.” He looked lovingly at the 
parchment and murmured : *‘Here on this bit of dressed 
lamb’s-skin I behold that which giveth me freedom ; shall 
I cast it from me? Nay, by my life not so shall it be.” 

“Not gone, my son, as I bade thee? I came to tell thee, 
curb thy rashness, or it may go ill with thee. Reach the 
grotto by a roundabout way; pass through the gate and 
along the highway, till thou reachest the glen by the 
towering elm. Be cautious, yet bold.” 

“The day is not far in its advancement, good father. 
I will hasten, ere the sun be set, and such spiritual conso- 
lation as I may give shall bless these unhappy exiles.” 

With a heavy heart he tightened the hempen cord that 
fastened his robe at the waist. He folded the lappings of 
his cowl closely over the letter and passed out of the gate 
unnoticed. The cool breeze that blew from the hill came 
like a greatful breath of the world, an inspiration that 
quickened his steps. “Here have I escaped one danger to 
fly into the arms of a second one, more formidable than 
the first. This maiden’s face cometh to me with a right 
good grace, a winning grace, that wrecketh firm resolu- 
tion, and Father Leonard so adviseth, to the church’s dis- 
favor. How weak is the spirit, while the flesh is a giant 
to crush me.” 

When he reached the ancient landmark, he turned from 
the King’s highway and entered the cool forest, than in- 
vited repose. The wide-spreading branches that shel- 
tered Saxon and Norman soldiers were over him; each 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


57 


branch was a goodly page in history. He sat him down 
upon the moss-covered roots that showed above the soil; 
then a strange happening came to him while he sat in 
silent meditation. Voices from the roadside of the tree’s 
giant trunk came to him to bring a fresher hope. 

“Comest thou from London?” came to the ears of the 
monk in a guarded tone of voice. “His Majesty is in sore 
strait at the absence of the King’s trusted messenger, and 
if I mistake not he sends a second courier for this soldier 
of fortune, that standeth in high favor at court.” 

“Sir Jasper thou meanest, the one that beareth the 
devil’s mark for an armorial bearing. A fool hath a fool’s 
reward, so runneth the proverb.” 

The cavalcade moved on, yet the welcome words 
lingered. The priest repeated the words of the proverb, 
and added, “The listening ear hath also its reward. God 
wot but this is brave news. I will e’en brush up my good 
blade, that I may yet strike a valiant blow in the cause 
of good King Charles, who suffered overmuch for real 
friends and loyal subjects.” 

With a firmer step and a more upright carriage, he 
pushed his way through the tangled underbrush and stood 
at the foot of the hill where he met with such a mishap. 
He bended forward and drank a cooling draught from 
the water that flowed musically at his feet. ‘ He glanced 
sharply upwards at the trodden path, yet ventured he 
not; a second encounter seemed not to his liking. This 
train of thought was interrupted by the sound of foot- 
steps that drew nearer. “The footstep is light. By my 
troth, it is the maiden that cometh this way.” He stepped 
within the grotto and stood behind the stone cross, that 
sheltered him from view. A heaviness came to his spirits 
as the maiden tripped lightly forward and knelt at the 


58 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


foot of the gray cross. The secrets of a maiden’s heart 
were poured forth with an earnestness that startled the 
priest, and he stepped from the shadows and entreated : 

“Be not alarmed, Father Leonard sent me hither to 
confess thy mother and thyself. Art thou ready for the 
good offices of the church, or comest thy parent first in 
the count?” 

“Father Leonard sent thee to us? Thrice blessed the 
day that gave us the privilege. A kind heart hath he, 
and a thoughtful consideration, promptings from his 
noble heart. I will to mother at once, for I need some 
little spiritual preparation that may not be neglected.” 

She tripped lightly up the steep ascent with a host of 
conflicting emotions agitating her mind. Her intuitions 
were dreams that came without the bidding, dreams that 
thrilled her with her delight. The widow approached the 
grotto with a reverential diffidence that made the ser- 
vice a duty of love. Right well the Father Confessor 
knew that she was keeping back the very misfortune that 
was harrowing her soul. He did not probe for the sor- 
rows that lay so near to the surface, and he used not the 
church’s privileges to learn what a king’s ransom could 
not extract from his lips, and with the church’s blessing 
on her and hers, he dismissed her. 

When the gentle heart had returned to the cliff, Flor- 
ette knelt meekly at his knee; her loosened hair covered 
her shoulders as with a veil; her eyes had that close, 
inquiring look that tried to peer behind the hood that was 
drawn over his face. No picture, I ween, was half so 
beautiful as the picture this grotto presented. The monk 
seated at the base of the cross, his concealed face inclined 
forward to catch the faintest whisperings that might come 
from the lips that had spoken no guile; the maiden per- 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


59 


plexed and doubting, fearing to confess that which was 
on her soul, timidly lifting her soulful eyes as if the con- 
fession would be a transference of thought without the 
agency of speech, or some mute appeal to the power of 
love. 

“Come, maiden, has thou naught to confess? Hast 
thou robbed some songbird’s nest? Perchance thou hast 
broken some butterfly’s wing?” 

“Ah, father, thinkest thou so lightly of my confession ? 
I have much to unfold that sitteth lightly on my soul. It 
is of the King’s messenger that I would speak. Though 
he is absent, yet is he always present in my mind, to the 
undoing of my devotions. I have never been happy since 
he went away. I love him as I never loved a mortal be- 
fore. I go over my beads and forget. I would that he 
would come back. Alas ! he dwells in king’s palaces, and 
I am lonely.” 

“My child, should he return, how would it better thy 
devotions ? In time thou wilt forget, then thou canst re- 
new thy allegiance to the church.” 

“Nay ! nay ! father, say not so, or I am undone. Let 
me hope that I may live ; let me hope that a good day 
cometh, when my heart shall rejoice.” 

“Child, it is no sin to love, else had the whole world 
sinned. Hast thou naught to confess that I should hear ? 
Tell me not of family troubles, I pray thee ; keep them to 
thyself and I am comforted.” 

“I pray not for mine enemies, though overly much 
they need my prayers. For this I hope to be forgiven 
when the last day shall come.” 

“Would it please thee, maiden, to confess to me again, 
or shall other fathers of the order come to thee?” 

“Come thou, good father, at thy pleasure; thy voice 


6o 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


comes to me as some sweet memory, and yet I wot thou 
art not he that came in the King’s name.” 

‘‘Should this messenger return, how wouldst thou bear 
thyself? Thinkest thou that it would make thee more 
zealous in thy duties?” 

“I would live in the light of his existence, and these 
unhappy longings would be stilled to the betterment of 
my duty.” 

“In me behold the unhappy King’s messenger. I, of 
the devil’s marking, a very scarecrow of existence. For 
this I took holy orders; for this I sought thy love to the 
undoing of my vows.” 

A sharp cry of pain from the maiden distressed him. 
He quickly replaced the hood, as if to shield him from 
this temptation. 

“O, father, it was unkind of thee to serve me thus.” 
She hid her flushed face in his robes, and the tears came 
unbidden to her eyes. “Alas! that I should be so un- 
maidenly.” 

“Ah! child, thy sweet speech made me forget my 
churchly duty for the while. Forget what I have said, 
and I’ll be gone.” 

“Nay! nay! I am not angry with thee, father, lover. 
Do not go.” 

The hood of the cowl was thrown back on the priest’s 
shoulders, his long hair fell on his breast in wavy locks, 
his keen gaze was fixed full on the maiden’s upturned 
face, and thus they sat, knowing not what to say, each 
busy with his thoughts. “Canst thou forgive me the 
transgression, thou tempter of the angels ?” 

“With a right good will, my father ; give me thy double 
blessing.” 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


6i 


'Thou hast the church’s blessing and thou hast mine; 
can I say to thee more ?” 

“Yes, give me braver speech, or thou goest not to 
Dantima.” 

“Thou hast full possession of my heart to the undoing 
of my vow. It ill becometh me to come hither in these 
priestly robes ; yet cling I to them to hide this mark upon 
my breast. Ah ! thou knowest right well how it came to 
me. Woful remembrances have I this day of this fool- 
hardy adventure that lost me the King’s high favor.” 

“Yet it brought thee to me, else had I ne’er set eyes on 
thee again. Yield thee to the influence of the hour and 
go not hence; thy mad dreams of ambition will come to 
naught.” 

“Dost thou forget? Thou seest these priestly robes, 
good maiden — ^what do they tell to thee? How shall 
the hasty steps be retraced, steps that bound me to the 
order for life?” 

“My own father can place his good offices with the 
Pope and free thee from thy vows. It has been done to 
my knowing, it may be done again.” 

“Maiden, how happeneth it that thy mother is a widow? 
Again, with the parting from these priestly robes, how 
shall I go forth into the world with this letter blazing on 
my breast to make a showing for idle eyes to stare upon ?’' 

“Oh, sir, forget what I have said. Woe is me that I 
told thee so much, and yet I wot how loyally thy brave 
heart hath kept thy knightly word to me when thou didst 
meet me on Dantima’s square.” 

“It matters little, thou idol of my heart; thy secret is 
safe within this breast. I will to Father Leonard and 
make my humble confession, devoutly kneeling, for I 
have wandered far from my honest intentions.” 


62 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


“Then he will say nay to thy coming, and I will be 
undone. Come thou to-morrow, and to-morrow, at thy 
will; nay, not thy will, but mine, thou very lover of my 
soul.’^ 

He retraced his steps along the weed-grown glen until 
he reached the great elm tree, where he turned into the 
highway and plodded soberly along the uneven road until 
he reached Dantima. His gloomy cell seemed to be a 
living tomb, now that the future promised so much. The 
confession that he promised to make was delayed, and on 
the morrow he wended his way to the cliff ; nor did he 
halt at the foot of the hill, but pressed upwards until he 
stood at the gate of the cottage and made his presence 
known to the inmates. 

Florette came hastily forward and extended both hands 
to her confessor. 

“Now shall I make a day with thee and thy mother, 
for my cell seemeth gloomy enough since thou hast told 
me all. I will await thee at the spring. I would hold 
sweet counsel with thee, for my brain is in a whirl. Thus 
I live from day to day, knowing naught what the morrow 
bringeth forth.” 

“Thou art safe here in this fair woods, where no foot- 
steps ere intrude. Strange, is it not, that the shadows 
that guard us from danger harm us not? Never yet have 
we heard those uncanny sounds, nor have we seen the 
blue lights that glow from the tops of these tall trees.” 

“I marvel that such is the truth, else had King Charles’ 
troopers been here ere this. Let me enjoy thy sweet com- 
pany while I may; to-morrow I may be far hence.” 

“Sayest thou so, my cavalier monk? Thou bringest 
sorrow to my heart. Here before this holy cross we will 

Ir.' 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


63 


plight our troth, that no earthly power shall break, and 
only death shall cancel.’’ 

“With a knightly grace, I say amen again and again. 
Come, we will reverently kneel here on this hallowed 
stone. Repeat thou with me these words : ‘O, Almighty 
God, we swear to be true to the troth that binds us in Thy 
holy sight, true to each other so long as life may last. No 
fears shall fill our souls with dread, no untimely tales shall 
make us doubt our love one for the other. In all of the 
years to come we will fulfill this pledge.’ ” 

“What, crying, Florette ! when thou shouldst be 
happy ?” 

“It seemeth sad, and is the vaporing of thy sad life that 
presages stormy happenings in the future.” 

He detached the rosary from his cord and placed it on 
the neck of the maiden, and whispered: “Thus do I 
spread the church’s protection around thee; now give me 
thine, for in this holy gift I shall remember thee forever. 
And now I must be gone ere the sun be down.” 

As he passed out of the glen, he softly repeated these 
words : “Oh, life, what promise dost thou make to me.” 

Then came back a hundred mocking echoes, as if the 
spirits of the woods were taunting him, and a musical 
laugh came again and again, and the words, “Come to 
me, thou art mine,” haunted his brain to mar the hap- 
piness of the day and hour. 


64 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


CHAPTER VIL 

CARL, THE alchemist's SON, IN THE PILLORY. 

Carl, the alchemist's son, enfolded his mother in his 
arms, and kissed her reverently on the forehead, on each 
eye at a time, then on the mouthy as he pleadingly ex- 
claimed : 

“Mother, bake me two brown loaves of bread, and add 
to this the creamy cheese with the marble veinings of 
sage. Fill the little willow basket with freshly-laid eggs. 
I will to the brook to-day, the brook in the great shadowy 
glen; there I will catch thee a goodly string of fish for 
thy trouble." 

“Ah ! my son, right well I know where thy heart is. 
Beshrew thee, child, thy feet goeth where thy heart would 
be. For my sake, go not to the grotto. Every turn in 
yon gloomy woods smacketh of danger. Well, thou know- 
est the law; these foolish burghers will place thee in the 
pillory that standeth in the great square. What will be- 
come of us ? Thou are our only mainstay now, since thy 
father hath no thought of existence as he delves in the 
mystical lore that maketh our daily want a reality." 

“Mother, thou wilt not tell to any one what I tell to 
thee? Bend low thy ear. I have a purse filled with a 
treble score of bright sovereigns, that will bring com- 
fort to thy heart. Here it is, and may God prosper the 
hand that anticipated our needs." 

“Carl ! Carl ! how earnest thou by the gold ?" 

“In good truth, I know not ; it was lying on one of the 
tables in father’s workshop, and he knoweth as little as 
myself whence came the gift." 


65 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 

'‘My boy, this purse hath seen brave times in King 
Charles’ court ; seest thou not the clasp and the threadings 
are of gold. We will keep it, and bless the giver for the 
generous gift.” 

“Mother, I will be off, as the morn groweth late. I 
will be at home betimes, fear thou not.” 

“There is an overanxious thought that goeth with thee ; 
be prudent and yet bold. I send greetings by thee, Carl.” 

“Who will ere catch me? These sleepy people ne’er 
visit the glen ; there is no real danger. Florette and her 
mother are sorely beset with trouble, and I will ne’er be 
the one to desert them when misfortune so sorely presses 
upon them. I am a man at heart, if the stature is lacking.” 

“The gosling down scarce shadeth thy lip. ’Tis true, 
thou art on the turn of a score of years.” 

With an affectionate kiss and a warm embrace he 
moved away from the humble dwelling that stood close to 
the great wall that surrounded the burgh. His well-filled 
basket was on one arm, his rod and line were resting on 
his shoulder. Thus equipped, he passed out the great 
gate and plodded along the highway to London. He 
noted the illy-concealed glances of displeasure that met 
him as he made his way towards the giant elm; these 
burghers looked with evil eyes upon him because they had 
not forgotten the rescue of the maiden when the strong 
arm of the priest scattered them. 

“It behooveth me to go cautiously thitherward. I like 
not their scowling eyes, that are aflame with anger.” 
When the town was hidden by hills and valleys, he turned 
into the shade of the glen and waded knee deep in the 
grass. The musical gurgle of the brook turned his foot- 
steps into the heart of the woods. He sat upon a rock 
and cast his line into the stream. A dozen of fishes were 


66 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


landed and dextrously cleaned. These he placed in a 
clean napkin and followed the creek to the Grotto of Our 
Lady; there he sat down and bended over the water to 
cool the flushed face that was reflected from the surface. 

“Florette may never come to me to-day. I sit here like 
a fool to gaze upwards at the pathway that hath so many 
rough turns, which makes the ghost of fancy in every 
bush a scarecrow.” The absorbing passion of his life was 
his love for this maiden. He was of that age that seeth 
love in every star and its whisperings in every breeze. 
To him her eyes were more beautiful than the eyes of 
the sainted Madonna that graced the chancel of Father 
Leonard’s church. Tier sad smile was more touching 
than the smile that wreathed the Madonna’s face. 

His own mother’s warning words came to him again 
and again. Each time they left a deeper impress on his 
mind. He could see himself pinioned in the pillory. He 
could see the throng of upturned faces ; he could hear the 
taunting jeers that fell from heartless lips. His nervous 
disposition almost gave way under the spell of thought. 
A light step above him changed his morbid feelings at 
once, for well he knew that Nattie’s step was illy in keep- 
ing with his youth. In another moment Florette was 
standing by his side. 

“Oh ! my gentle playmate, why didst thou come to me? 
Wist ye not that I am three years thy senior. Wot ye not 
of the terrible penalty that would await thee shouldst 
thou be caught?” 

“It is for love of thee, Florette.” 

Without noticing his remark, she continued : “Wot ye 
not that the cruel law hath set penalties that may not be 
lightly set aside? Foolish boy, thrice times ten hath it 
been read in open assembly. Think not that I am un- 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


grateful to thee, Carl ; it was kind of thee, and thou hast 
our heart’s gratitude ; but come no more, as thou valuest 
thy life.” 

“Thou callest me boy; it is unkind of thee, my play- 
mate. Wist ye not that I am turning a full score, and my 
majority cometh within the year. If I protect thee not, 
and my life be the wager, then claim thou the wager.” 

“Thou wilt always be a boy to me, Carl. Sweet com- 
panions have we been in the short years that have so 
quickly flown. I would not wound thy brave heart for a 
king’s wealth.” 

“Will I never be a man to thee?” he sighed. As he 
said this, her words created an unrest in his heart that he 
could not explain; but youth, hopeful youth, made her 
words a talisman that charmed his soul. 

“Never, Carl, wilt thou be a man to me. I shall re- 
member thee always as my playmate. Thou art not of 
lofty stature, like — well, never mind whom.” Her face 
flushed as she said this. 

“Like whom, Florette?” 

“Like other men, young sir; forsooth, a good cubit 
couldst thou add to thy frame to thy advantage.” 

“Oft great souls abide in smaller bodies. Wot ye not 
that circumstances make events, and events make history ? 
Be not unkind, thou queen of my soul. I can but love 
thee, and thou canst not say me nay.” 

“What hast thou, Carl, in the bundle that resteth at thy 
feet, and ’twas for this thou earnest?” She said this to 
change the flow of thought that was so painful to her. 

“I quite forgot thee, sweet playmate. Here is a willow 
twist of eggs, two loaves of fresh brown bread and some 
cheese and fish, and I bear thee mother’s warm greeting.” 

“Carl, well thou knowest I will not enjoy a single 


68 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


mouthful of what thou bringest. The risk illy repays the 
nobleness of the deed. Thou hast the extreme ill-will of 
our enemies. They forgave thee thy first offense ; a sec- 
ond will not be condoned.’’ 

‘'List to that which will please thy soul. Father Leon- 
ard hath provided the means that will bring to thee a low 
mass; thy mother, as well as thyself, is included in the 
privilege. The smaller matters are well attended to; 
thou hast naught to fear.” 

A flush of pleasure lighted the maiden’s face ; the hope 
of again meeting her lover came like a great ray of joy. 

“This is goodly news thou tellest to me, and ’twere 
well worth a kiss, which I give to thee.” 

“To-night be thou at the break in the old sea wall, when 
the tower bells strike the midnight hour. I will row thee 
to the pier. Naught disturbs the drowsy slumber of these 
canting roundheads ; all will be well.” 

When he had passed from sight in the underbrush, the 
maiden sat long on the great rock, and mentally thought. 

“Alas! good youth, had another not won my love, 
how loyal could I be to thee. That I bring not misery to 
his brave heart goeth forth as a prayer.” 

The Widow Deycourt and her daughter were at the 
appointed place just as the tower chimes sounded on the 
midnight air. Carl muffled his oars; the steady dip 
scarcely made a ripple in the waters of the bay. The 
boat was lightly fastened to the pier. Three mortals 
glided like ghosts through the silent streets up to the 
Cathedral door. 

“Carl, this is indeed kind of you, my son,” the widow 
whispered in a cautious tone of voice as they entered 
the church by a narrow side door that led directly up to 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


69 


the altar, upon which the solitary lamp that was never 
extinguished cast its dim shadows upon the little group. 

“The old burgh is as quiet as a graveyard. Fear 
naught ; here comes Father Leonard. When the mass 
is ended, we will slip out and none will be the wiser.” 

The widow’s mind was filled with the solemn thoughts 
of the hour. The deprivation made the service more im- 
pressive as the solemn words fell on her attentive ears. 
Not so devotional was her daughter, whose truant 
thoughts were in the monastery. Often her glances 
would stray to the great black curtain that the confes- 
sional made so dear to her. 

The mass was ended. Without trouble or danger the 
trio crept towards the bay and embarked. No suspicious 
sound made them look fearfully around. Not till the boat 
touched the old sea wall did they breathe freely. 

“Carl, we beseech thee to tarry with us till the morrow, 
then thou canst return by the gateway. I fear for thee, 
Carl,” the widow said. “If thou wilt not stay with us, 
linger in the grotto till dawn.” 

“How shall I account me for the boat? God wot but I 
wish not the devil’s mark to adorn my breast, even in 
so good a cause. It would be my swift condemnation in 
yon old burgh. It were best to return the boat to her 
moorings, then all suspicion will be quieted. God be with 
thee, Florette ; I shall see thee anon.” 

He turned the boat’s prow towards the bay and drifted 
out with the tide. A dozen of steady strokes sent him to 
the ninth pier. He secured the bow to its iron ring, and 
crept cautiously under the pier, where Nattie read the 
despatches. His listening ear caught the echo of a foot- 
step ; then another, and still another. A pitchpine torch 
was lighted, and his presence was discovered. 


70 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


“Come forth, thou youngest son of Belial, ere I come 
and fetch thee from thy hole. These old knees have a 
certain stiffness that rusts the hinges of youth, else had 
I captured the devil’s own as well as thyself. Misguided 
boy, the evil one has cast his spell upon thee, thou hast 
become a criminal in Dantima. In the King’s name, I 
arrest thee. That I came too late to catch the woman and 
girl brings a greater sorrow to my heart. In good sooth 
shalt thou suffer for this second transgression.” 

“Say not thou in the King’s name; thou mockest the 
claims of justice.” 

“Be not overbold of speech to Dantima’s displeasure, 
thou miscreant. Come, I will e’en cool thy heated blood 
in this damp cell until the morrow, when thou shalt face 
the assembly and make thy defence.” 

The turning of the ponderous key shot the bolts into 
their sockets, and Carl was a prisoner. The walls were 
the walls of a palace to him. The persecution would 
make him a hero in the eyes of Florette. In his joy he 
sang and shouted like a madman, till the prison-keeper 
noised it abroad that the youth was daft. For this reason 
the burgher’s anger was turned to pity. 

Dantima was early astir. Trials were of such rare 
occurrence that wonder made meddling curiosity a virtue. 
Calmly the boy returned the stares that were turned in 
his direction. There was a solemn quietness in these 
burghers that was in keeping with the verdict that each 
deposited in the judge’s hat. 

He received the written verdict with composure. No 
emotional feeling betrayed the joy he felt that the sen- 
tence was so light. Visions of the dreaded executioner’s 
lash made him nervous. He had even schooled his nerves 
to stand the trying ordeal. He walked with a firm step 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


71 


and bold bearing to the pillory, whose steps he mounted, 
and thus was elevated above the throng of upturned faces 
that made grimaces at him. 

The pillory was shaped like the letter “T.” The cross 
beam was composed of two parts that were hinged at one 
end and closed with a lock at the other end. Carl’s head 
and hands were thus imprisoned high enough to keep his 
body in a strained, standing posture; the holes that per- 
mitted his hands and head to move in a restricted man- 
ner did not allow the weight of his body to rest firmly 
on his feet. Thus imprisoned, he received calmly the 
jeers and taunts of these roundheads. 

All day the merciless crowd heaped reproach upon him 
by shouting : “Carl ! Carl ! loves the cliff maiden, and has 
sold his soul to the devil. Shame to thee ! shame to thee ! 
Are other maidens’ faces not as beautiful in Dantima? 
Fie upon thee, that thou makest covenant with the evil 
one !” 

Another voice in the throng shouted : “Does the devil’s 
elbow stick into they side? His broth is seasoned with 
dead men’s bones, to make the lights burn blue.” 

A third voice drawled : “How dost thou like it up 
there ? Does the wood hurt thy neck ? Shake hands and 
come down, that thou mayst learn a useful lesson. Dan- 
tima’s laws are not to be so lightly broken.” 

A fourth voice exclaimed : “Carl, call thou on the devil 
to aid thee ; he is thy master. Hear him ; such friends hast 
thou for the price of beauty. The ransom will be re- 
deemed in hell. Shame! shame! Carl! Call thou loudly 
on the ghosts of yon cottage, they will come to thee.” 

A sudden stillness fell upon the air. The coldness 
made these mockers shiver. A strange feeling of awe 
silenced the jeering words. The town was filled with 


72 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


strange noises, as if a thousand unseen forms were hurry- 
ing to and fro. Groans and shrieks came from every- 
where. Doors slammed, windows rattled and pande- 
monium ruled the hour. 

The terror-stricken burghers fled from their homes in 
dismay and rested at a safe distance outside the walls. 

Carl was alone in the silence of the town. He stood 
the ordeal with a hero’s soul, but human weakness was 
stronger than human resolution. A number of times the 
faintness of death crept over his numbed faculties. The 
jaws had a firmer set as he banished the pain that would 
have been a challenge for further persecution. The dear 
face of his mother came to him. Her hands trembled 
with suppressed excitement as she climbed the steep steps 
and stood by her son. She swung back the iron hasps and 
raised the upper part of the top cross-beam. When Carl’s 
head and hands were released, he sank in a heap on the 
platform. 

He struggled to his feet, embraced his mother, and 
pleaded: “Do not tell Florette I fainted. The town is 
deserted, and no one but thee saw me faint.” The family 
carried him home and put him into his bed. For a week 
he was fever-stricken; his sensitive nerves were severely 
shaken up. Flis father, who was versed in the leeches 
craft, bled him and administered healing herbs, to the 
betterment of his condition. 

A sweet message from Florette, stealthily delivered by 
Nattie, brought the glow of health to his cheek and the 
wonted brightness to his eyes. The family, as well as 
himself, were prisoners in their own house, because the 
fright the burghers received opened up a new channel of 
persecution. The alchemist became a target for a hun- 
dred ghoulish mutterings. His forge with its red flames 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


73 


was the devil’s cauldron. The strange books on his 
shelves no one could understand; the schoolmaster had 
inspected them, and with a wise shake of the head said 
that every page was filled with the evil one’s own marks. 

Through the (so-called) black art Carl was saved; he 
had not fulfilled the measure of punishment that the court 
of Dantima decree. A wholesome awe made the al- 
chemist respected. Little he cared for the storm of in- 
dignation that menaced him ; neither cared he for the idle 
threats that died with the horning. He bent more closely 
over his crucibles and dreamed his life away in pursuit 
of chimerical shadows that always went before. 


74 A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


CHAPTER VIII. 

THE king's messenger RECALLED BY KING CHARLES. 

Sir Jasper was in his cell, a prey to the harrowing feel- 
ings that fluctuated between hope and despair. While he 
was thus brooding over this mockery of existence, a gen- 
tle touch on his shoulder made him look up. Father 
Leonard was standing by his side, whose benevolent face 
came to his heart like a soft westerly breeze ; his presence 
was soothing, and for a time the cavalier monk forgot 
his sorrows. 

“Aly son, be of good cheer, the King’s trooper cometh 
posthaste to find thee. Be not cast down, a bright future 
awaits thee, and Dantima will soon be a painful remem- 
brance. Thou hast an abiding friend in me; I will be 
with thee always. Thou shalt hear the whisperings of 
my love even in foreign lands, and to thy soul’s better- 
ment.” 

“Holy father, does he wait without?” 

“The attenuated lad from the Custom House brought 
the message. The trooper knoweth ere this of thy con- 
cealment, and approacheth e’en now, as I hear the sharp 
jingle of his spurs on the flags in the corridor.” 

“Father, the matter must be urgent. Ah! here is Au- 
brey. God wot but is it thou, good Comrade Aubrey? 
My very soul feedeth on thy looks. It is a four years’ 
turn since last these eyes beheld thee.” 

“Sir Jasper, what doeth thou in this old rookery, and 
thou wearest a priestly garb, and yet thy locks smack of 
the flavor of discontent? Explain thyself and let’s be 
gone.” 


^5 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 

''Dost thou bring me good tidings from His Majesty, 
and I will answer thee?” 

'‘The King has fretted like some ill-starred moth for 
thy return. Throw aside this scarecrow gown, forsake 
thy sombre cell and the brightest smiles of King Charles’ 
court awaiteth thee.” 

"Aubrey, speak not thus of these sacred robes, that 
may not be so lightly cast from me; for these folds hide 
that which incurred the King’s displeasure; these folds 
hide the cursed, baleful letter that maketh my presence 
a show for the over-curious.” 

"And thou goest not hence. Sir Jasper, when stirring 
times make stirring blood? Hast thou not heard of se- 
ditions that threaten good King Charles’ throne ?” 

"Naught hath come to me but the confessions of the 
penitents, whose woes are as summer clouds to mine. 
Tell me further, good Aubrey.” 

"Cromwell and his shaven pates are mustering in force. 
The King seeketh a foreign ally, and he knoweth not 
who his friend may be at court. Ah, well he counteth on 
thee and thy good sword.” 

And well he may, good Aubrey, unto the utmost will 
I serve His Majesty, and think lightly of the service.” 

"Come, leave this old town with its bats and cobwebs. 
All the money in the royal exchequer would not bide me 
here. A stout trooper hath an extra steed for thee ; we 
will away at once.” 

"Thou knowest not what thou asketh, Aubrey. Dost 
thou forget my churchly vows that end only with death ?” 

"Cheer up, man, the world is what thou maketh it, a 
graveyard or a palace. 1 can well be sworn the pleasures 
of the world are not dead within thy heart, since yon 
clustering curls belie thy sacred garb. A shaven crown 


76 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


would be more in keeping with thy vows. ’Tis some mas- 
querade that can keep for riper years. What sayeth 
thou?’’ 

“And make a scarecrow of my presence at court. His 
Majesty is over-punctilious, as thy knoweth; but for the 
Queen’s intercession, my head had paid the forfeit for 
a misfortune that came to me at his bidding.” 

“ ’Tis not thine to say me nay. By our lady, it is the 
King’s command, and it is thy duty to obey. It is not 
a matter of vows. Sir Winfred received His Majesty’s 
displeasure for not finding thee.” 

“If the King so commands, by my rood I will follow 
thee within the hour.” 

“The horses are blown and need rest. I will be at 
yon old gate at high noon. Make thy peace with thy 
brothers and we will be off. By my faith, thou speaketh 
like a man and a soldier, not the slave of beads and 
prayer.” 

When the cavalier withdrew. Sir Jasper returned to 
his reverie, that had a tinge of suspicion intermingled 
with his loyalty. Well he knew the fickleness of the 
King, who made promises only to break them. Then the 
thought came to him that the King would probe for the 
secret that was buried in his heart or send him to the 
Tower, the secret that held the lives of the widow and 
her daughter in suspense. 

The cavalier monk hastened to seek Father Leonard, 
whose head was bowed in prayer, wrestling, perhaps, at 
the sanctuary for the light that would make every doubt 
a certainty. When the holy father finished, he turned to 
the King’s messenger and spoke: “Right well I know 
the thought that troubleth thy mind. Go, my son, I have 
no power to say thee nay. The tidings from London is 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


77 


but the foreshadowing of my desire to see thee happy. 
Ah! right well have I noticed the storms that swept thy 
soul till it was as barren as the deserts that tempt thee to 
further madness; even there will I be with thee.” He 
laid his fatherly hand on the messenger’s shoulder and 
continued : “What pleaseth me most is the revelation 
that thy soul is pure, and thy allegiance as steadfast as the 
stars.” 

“Alas! good father, for the vows I have taken, the 
breaking thereof sitteth heavily on my conscience.” 

“Tut! tut! my son; art thou not in the service of the 
Church, to do her bidding? When thou art sorely 
tempted, and thou yieldest, then hast thou broken thy 
pledge to the Church.” 

“Where is the rosary I gave to thee? I would see it.” 

“Father, forgive me, I gave it to the maiden on the 
cliff. ’Twas thou that sent me thence, to the tempting of 
my soul. And, father, I forgot my vows for the nonce. 
If I fall, help thou me to my uprising.” 

“Thou hast my forgiveness and my blessing; I will be 
with thee, my son, as thou shalt learn. God’s blessing be 
upon thee; and now, farewell.” 

It lacked yet four hours ere the dial in the square cast 
no shadow. Half waking and half dreaming, he passed 
through the gateway and onwards to the grotto. The 
little gurgling echoes of the brook filled the cave with its 
own sweet music. Florette was not there. He glanced 
upwards at the now well-worn pathway that had wrecked 
a thousand hopes. As the time was short, he climbed 
hastily up, up, until he stood at the cottage door, where 
he met the widow carrying an earthen pitcher that was 
empty. 

“Welcome, father; I go even now to the spring for 


78 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


water; tarry thou until my return. My daughter rejoic- 
eth that thou wilt administer spiritual consolation that 
falleth as manna from the sky.” 

‘It is manna to me, and feedeth my famished heart, 
thou dear one of my soul,” Florette exclaimed, and con- 
tinued : “Go to the grotto and perform thy good offices 
for mother, then I will follow.” 

Ere the widow had reached the spring that bubbled at 
her feet the monk was with her. He took the pitcher 
from her hand and set it by the side of the depression that 
was shaded with moss. “Kneel, my daughter,” he said. 
“This will be the last confes.sion that I will give to thee 
here, as I am ordered hence. 

“ ’Tis thus we give up to our sore discomfort. Alas ! 
how cruel is the world, where to be misunderstood is a 
crime. How deeply has this come home to me, no one 
but God and myself know. 

“Father Leonard will not forget thee. Another will 
take up the duty. Have thou no fear and confess thy 
heart’s promptings to me for the time *s short.” When 
the duty had been performed she filled her pitcher and 
went slowly up the pathway to the cottage. 

Then a quicker step approached. How it harrowed 
his soul to speak the words that made his voice husky 
with emotion. Her face was all aglow with hope and 
pleasure ; her eyes bright with expectation. With one 
mad impulse he pressed her to his heart as if the treasure 
was too sacred for human tempting. “Ah! but I love 
thee, girl, and yet what I say to thee will wring thy soul 
with anguish.” 

“With anguish, sayest thou. How may this be ? And 
the burghers will say thee nay, as to thy coming hither.” 

“A messenger from the King even now awaits my com- 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


79 


ing.” With suffering calmness he added : “This day we 
must part.” 

“And is it so, my lover? There is a numbness that 
seizeth me, and my hopes are crushed with the imparting 
of thy news. Farewell to Florette’s happy day, then 
comes Florette’s poor night.” 

“Nay! nay! dear one, there is hope yet left. Do not 
undo the brave resolve that makes the future seem as a 
moment in time’s calendar. Shall fate be more unkind 
and steal the future with its buds of promise? I will in- 
terest the Queen for my unchurching; implore her good 
offices at Rome, and lay aside these robes which make 
our union impossible. Thence to Arabia, that land of hot 
airs and burning sands, where the ghostly mystery that 
blazes here will fade that I may live again and love thee, 
thou treasure of my life.” 

“How knowest thou this?” 

“Seest thou this parchment. The strange letter is here 
and there and everywhere. Thinkest thou that a year’s 
absence will chill such love as thine and mine.” He 
clasped the little cold hand in his, and with tearless silence 
read in the steadfast gaze the suffering that dumbly plead 
in every hopeless look. Bravely she withheld the tears 
that made her face more wan and white. With childish 
abandon she threw her arms around his neck and gazed 
into his eyes to prove his soul. 

“Seest thou aught there to doubt? They only prove to 
thee the depths of my unalterable love. Canst thou ask 
more ?” 

“Nay, but it is a goodly truthful soul; one I would 
trust forever.” 

“May the foul fiend scorch it with this letter, if my 


8o 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


heart proves not true to thee, and the love that is heaven 
born.” 

“Make not such speech, thou loved one. Recall such 
utterings that make me doubt thy love. Unsay them for 
my sake.” 

“Forget that they came from my lips. Love that is 
sealed with such pledges finds an unhappy ending, and 
I bethink me the hottest fires are soonest cooled. So 
sayeth the proverb.” 

“Father ! lover, I will trust thee with my life. In trust- 
ing thee, thou hast the love that is my life ; nay, more, it 
is my all.” 

“Knowest thou not that the secret thou and thy mother 
keepeth within the tabernacle of the soul is known to me ; 
knowest thou not that King Charles would give an earl- 
dom for the knowledge in my possession. Go not to yon 
heathen town at thy utmost peril, for the courtiers may 
see thy face and know thee for what thou art. Keep by 
thee speedy means of departure. Some one at court hath 
knowledge of thy retreat ; so be prepared, and I will meet 
thee in Rome. Give to me thy address and I will write 
it here.” 

“In heaven’s name how knowest thou this?” 

“His Majesty will send his troopers hither to destroy 
thee. Seest thou the signs of the times on the decks of 
yon war ships that have harbored here since the troubles 
began? They have orderings that make preparation a 
duty. A wager with thee that thou stayest not six 
months.” 

“Thou wilt meet me in Rome. How the thought cheers 
my heart, for the time seemeth not so long.” 

“Should aught of danger threaten thee, thou light of 
my soul, I give to thee my London address. How shall 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


8i 


I get to thee tidings of events that will make my existence 
a stirring mystery. Alas ! there is no way, and faith must 
be the guerdon of our love. Kneel thou by my side, with 
thy fair young face uplifted to yon gray cross, and with 
thy hand in mine renew the solemn pledge that is recorded 
in heaven. Nay ! nay ! no tears. Keep them for thy 
solitude; else they would unman me. I would be strong 
in my resolve to do that which seemeth best for our wel- 
fare.'' 

“I will ! I will ! See ; I even smile to cheer thee. A 
year will quickly pass, and then — and then the troubles 
will end. I will dream of that hour that will unite us and 
make our lives a dream." 

He gave one hasty glance at the sky and noted the 
shadows how they sought refuge 'neath the trees, and 
sighed : “There are no shadows on yon aged dial ; they 
are in our hearts, and I must be gone." 

For full ten minutes Florette was clasped in his strong 
arms. With one long kiss he set her on the mossy bank 
and fled as if the tormenting devils were pursuing him; 
nor looked he backwards till the grotto was a memory. 

He strode onward through the woods, up the hill, past 
the gate, and into the arms of Father Leonard, who was 
alarmed at his condition. 

“Stay, my son, thy face betokens fever ; 'twere well to 
tarry till the morrow. Thou needest the leeches' craft and 
some soothing lotions." 

“Father, I kneel for thy blessing, and will be off. The 
King hath sore need of my service. This unrest is be- 
yond the leeches' cure." 

With a hasty embrace he rushed from the monastery 
and moved with long steps to the gate, where the horses 
were in waiting, and without saying as much as by your 


82 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


leave, he threw himself into the saddle, buried the rowels 
of his spurs into the flanks of his steed and rode down the 
road with the speed of an arrow. His cowl and hood 
streamed in the breeze like a banner. Onward he rode ; 
trees, rocks and ravines flew by them like a flash, while 
the plunging horses, with their bold riders, swept on- 
wards at a thundering pace. The yeomanry stared in 
wonder at the mad monk and his gay companions that 
never drew rein till twenty good English leagues lay be- 
tween them and Dantima. 

“God wot. Sir Jasper, how thou ridest. The speed 
taketh my breath ; it is not an ambling monkish gait that 
sendeth thy steed forward at such a pace. His Majesty’s 
troopers, and thou in the lead, could charge the world 
and distance the whirlwind. I will commend thee to His 
Grace as the best seat in the saddle, as the best trooper 
in his realm.” 

“Aubrey, forgive my churlish mood. This letter on 
my breast makes me a misanthrope. My blood is as 
feverish as the hottest fire. We have been friends too 
long. Thou knowest me well.” 

“I am content to have thee at court ; thy fiercest storms 
are summer flaws. Thou art in high favor with His Ma- 
jesty, and high honors await thee. Throw off the gloom 
that fitteth thee as some ill-starred garment and make 
double amends for thy long absence.” 

“Aubrey, I fear me much that disappointment awaits 
thee. The King will send me on a mission, or condemn 
me to the Tower ; then, bethink thee, my solemn life hath 
quenched the frivolity that once made life so gay?” 

“By my troth, thou messenger of the King, I will well 
be sworn that wine and woman’s eyes will brush the cob- 
webs from thy burdened wit that was wont to sparkle 
jvith some peculiar charm.” 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


83 


“These robes make wit some buried hermit that feedeth 
on his own hard penances. Do they not remind thee of 
that solemn hour that cometh alike to all ? I wish to play 
no marplots’ score with thy unfettered happiness. The 
sooner I am ordered away the better for me.” 

“A woman’s smile for thy cell ; a woman’s wit for thy 
long prayers, and wine for the spirits that haunt grave- 
yards, and love for the passing of the dreary hours that 
kill the joy of living. A single day in Dantima would 
mar a century of happy hours.” 

These gay sentiments were lost on the King’s messen- 
ger, whose preoccupied thoughts were rambling over the 
wide field of recent events that made the old burgh a nest 
of sweet memories. He could not forget Father Leonard, 
whose grand heart was filled with such gentle mercies. 
Neither could he forget the patient alchemist who lived in 
his own imaginative world. Florette’s sweet face, the 
inspiration of his soul, was with him always. The words 
that said : “Come to me, thou art mine,” haunted him 
like a troubled dream. 

“Sir Jasper, deep thoughts make silent tongues. Here 
have we been riding these two good hours, and not a 
spoken word to break the silence. Have it thy way, I 
will whistle the love ditty that last vibrated in the cham- 
ber of my lady. Keep thou thy tongue for merrier 
hours.” 

“Heed me not, Aubrey, for my soul is heavy. Words 
seem out of place. Have thou thy merry ditties and thy 
love songs that maketh thy heart glad.” 

“Thanks to our lady, the journey is almost ended. We 
are nearing the gates of London. His Majesty will 
thank me, that I brought thee to him without loss of 
time.” 


84 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


CHAPTER IX. 

THE WIDOW DEYCOURT AND HER DAUGHTER PRISONERS. 

When the king’s messenger rushed hurriedly away 
Florette sank down lower on the moss-covered rock and 
wept till her eyes were heavy. Life seemed to be robbed 
of its brightness. With a heavy heart she bended over 
the spring and bathed her lids in the cooling water. She 
plunged her face into the pool to cool the fever that was 
consuming her; then she arose and wearily climbed the 
hill and went about her daily duty as if her heart was 
4ead. ^ 

The news that Nattie brought created a diversion that 
strengthened her resolution, because dangers thickened 
around them. How anxiously the cliff dwellers awaited 
the coming of the unnamed ship , that flew the English 
flag. 

“Mamma, if papa does not come in the next three days 
we are lost. The burghers have discovered that the cot- 
tage can be approached during the hours of daylight. 
The priest that Father Leonard sent to thee was followed. 
Carl’s coming was a misfortune that bears its bitter 
fruit.” 

“Why dost thou say three days, my son ?” 

“Bethink thee, in three days the moon will be in her 
darkest shadow, else papa would not venture to sail into 
the very jaws of danger. If he cometh not then, a month 
hence will find us dead, or in prison.” 

Florette raised her head and faltered: “Brother, hast 
thou forgotten the depths of the cavern. How will they 
find us ?” 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


85 


“If they leave one stone on another it will be because 
they have not the strength to destroy. Then where is 
thy refuge?” 

“Who gave thee such tidings, my brother ?” 

“Who but Carl gave to me these warnings. They 
make bold of speech to say that the Devil’s Elbow and its 
cottage shall rest in the bottom of the sea, stone by stone, 
even unto the foundation.” 

“Monsters !” the maiden gasped. “Where are the 
guardian spirits that make the cheeks of Dantima’s citi- 
zens turn pale with fear? I wot not that they measure 
lances with the unseen world.” 

“And well I wot that these good spirits that befriended 
Carl when he stood bravely at the pillory would cast them 
headlong from the cliff to follow where the house would 
be. Fear not, my sister. All of the king’s troopers will 
not prevail against them.” 

“Carl was tortured in the pillory for us. Foolish boy, 
how heavily the hand of persecution fell upon him. Even 
now he cometh in hot haste to warn us of the evil.” 

Carl’s face was flushed with the hasty steps that brought 
him safely by the three tall elms, where his practiced eyes 
saw the first signs of real danger. A small fire of twigs 
had charred with the service they rendered, and the white 
ashes of the consumed fagots indicated that ten intruders 
sat around the cheerful blaze that was hidden by a de- 
pression in the rivulet’s high bank. They were not troop- 
ers, else had the boot heels been high and narrow. The 
flat, broad heels of the peasantry gave to this boy the evi- 
dence that made the peril near. 

He sat for a moment breathless with the exertion, and 
stammered: “Hast thou no refuge but this? Thou and 
thine must away ere the crafty burghers are upon thee. 


86 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


Even now these eyes did see the marks upon the blue mud 
that telleth me that the glen is invaded. Daylight hath 
no alarms for these that seek to destroy thee.” 

"‘Carl, there is no shelter that we can claim. Friend- 
less thou knowest we are, and friendless we will be, un- 
less our guardian spirits cast their sheltering arms around 
us.” 

“Fie upon thee, Florette. How sayest thou the word 
friendless. Am I not with thee ? And in my mind there 
springeth good suggestions that will save thee and thine. 
List thou to the pleadings of my heart, and make thee 
ready to move to-night ere the clock in the tower striketh 
the tenth hour.” 

“What hast thou to offer, Carl? Thou art but a boy 
with all the courage of a man, and may Heaven bless thee 
for thy good offices.” 

“Thou must know that our humble dwelling is at thy 
service. The rooms are in good preparation for thee. 
There thou wilt be secure from danger. The sleeping 
dolts will ne’er seek thee, and thou so near.” 

“Carl, thou forgettest the gateway to Dantima. The 
dankish streets, with their sombre dwellings, have sharp 
eyes and a thousand ears. What sayest thou ? The ven- 
ture would be an act of a madman.” 

“Softly, thou light of my eyes. As thou knowest, our 
house abuts the great wall of the town. High up there 
peepeth a window, unused for years. The cobwebs cur- 
tained it, to the discomfort of the foolish flies. In good 
sooth, it is as clean as the good housewife’s floor, and 
awaits a welcome for thee and thine.” 

“Thou leadeth us into the very jaws of Satan and his 
minions. Carl, Carl, shouldest thou counsel us to our mis- 
fortune, how heavy would be thy heart!” 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


87 


“The boldness of the move maketh safety doubly an 
assurance.” 

“Is the peril then so near, my playmate ?” 

“Else hadst thou not seen me here. Well did these 
good ears hear these bigots plotting for thy capture. Be- 
ware of the spring, for a promise of poison makes the use 
thereof a caution. Carry whilst thou mayst a full allot- 
ment of water to thy habitation. I forget me, thou hast 
a well, and could withstand a goodly siege.” 

While they were counseling together, Nattie and the 
dog came quickly to the grotto, and said, as he patted the 
faithful hound on the head : “Carl is right. Dareall 
smelleth the danger that is near. We have little time to 
squander. What must be done, t’were well t’were done 
quickly.” 

“Be at the three elms by ten. I will await thee there,” 
saying which Carl moved hurriedly through the under- 
brush towards Dantima. 

Nattie brushed back the gray locks from his mother’s 
forehead and chided : “Mamma, Carl is over-zealous. True 
that we are surrounded by enemies. Yet I count on 
papa’s reaching his loved ones in time to transport us 
hence. If thou goest to yon burgh, Dareall and I will 
watch for the signals, and guide his brave bark through 
His Majesty’s war dogs, even unto us.” 

The household effects were safely packed for speedy 
flight, and every item that thought could anticipate was 
accounted for in the reckoning. 

With cautious steps the fugitives pushed through the 
sombre woods, guided by the unerring instinct of the 
faithful animal that ran hither and thither with his cold 
nose close to the ground; then he would return and rub 
his head upon the hand of Nattie, and trot forward at a 


88 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


brisk pace till the shadow of the three elms sheltered 
them. Carl was there ; he moved across the King’s high- 
way, with Florette and her mother close behind him. The 
sound of horses’ hoofs quickened their speed, until the 
town was skirted, and the high walls were in front of 
them, they .were gloomy in their heaviness. 

A stout rope was lowered from the embrasure, the 
maiden placed her feet firmly in the loop, and was drawn 
easily upwards. She was carefully lifted to the stone 
sill and was drawn inwards. The widow followed her 
child in the same manner, then Carl came last; the cord 
was withdrawn, and these wanderers fell to weeping, one 
with the other. 

A word of caution from the lad tempered their emo- 
tions, though Carl knew it not. A relationship existed 
between them that time had concealed ; some family trou- 
ble that was yet to make them all unhappy by the know- 
ing; but this night was a happy termination of the sor- 
row, so far as these women were concerned. 

‘‘Make thou no unseemly noise, my dear ones. Thou 
knowest the proverb, that walls have ears. Whisper what 
thou wouldst say, and whisper low, for Burgher Pegall 
liveth close by, whose tongue runneth faster than his wit. 
He hath sharp ears for gossip, and is over-curious in 
matters that pertain more to his neighbors than the mat- 
ters that should be of his own overseeing. On thy lives 
venture not to the windows, and keep closely to these 
sheltering walls, and thou shalt be reunited to thy own 
within the week.” 

“Carl, thou art a good son; thou pleaseth me well. 
Keep thou on the watch for Nattie, and let his movements 
be thy careful study, and God will reward thy generous 
deeds with ample recompense.” 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


89 


“Fear thou not ; my rod and line will befriend me, and 
bring thee good report in all due season, and thus make 
distrust a scarecrow.” 

While Carl was thus fulfilling to the utmost his prom- 
ises, the three friends were living again in the years. All 
the diflferences that enstranged these relatives were 
settled by a candor that gave the lie to slander, but a re- 
ligious fervor overcame them, and regardless of Carl’s 
warning, they stole forth to seek the consolation of the 
Church. 

The dark of the moon was near them. Like ghosts they 
stole along the deserted streets, up to the carved door of 
the Cathedral, which was easy of entrance. Father Leon- 
ard was in his rectory. The dim light of the lamp fell 
upon his benevolent countenance like a halo of light. His 
thoughts were deeply buried in the parchments that were 
spread out before him; yet his ears were not unmindful 
of the movements in the chancel. Fie arose to confront 
these intruders that came betimes to worship. 

“Is it thou, my persecuted ones, that cometh to me at 
this questionable hour, when thou shouldst be miles away 
on the sea, where thy safety lies ? Knowest thou not that 
the stake and fagot await thee if thou art apprehended? 
Lose not a moment, but fly, ere it be too late.” 

“Father, tjiou knowest not the joy that filleth our 
hearts, for the sorrows that broke two families asunder 
are happily ended, we would ask thy blessing, and we 
will be gone.” 

“May God’s blessing be with thee, my children; now 
go if thou lovest me. My heart is heavy with the thought. 
Secret musterings that bode thee no good rule the hour. 
The Cathedral is closely watched. I will make the rounds 


go 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


to make assurance sure.” He returned and added : “Go, 
my daughters, the way seemeth clear.” 

Like animals pursued by a relentless hunter, they 
hastened to gain the shelter that was a haven to them. 
Every footstep was a fetter to tighten the coils of mis- 
fortune. 

A voice from the darkness halted them, as it bellowed : 
“In the King’s name, what wenches be these that disturb 
the midnight stillness of Dantima?” With these words 
he placed his forefinger and thumb in his mouth and gave 
a shrill whistle that echoed with startling distinctness 
through the silent streets. Hurrying feet came nearer; 
a flambeau threw its weird glare on the group ; a shout 
went up from the ruffian’s throat as he hoarsely growled : 
“As I live, it is the devil’s offering to Dantima. Right 
glad am I that thou cometh to my net, for thou hast saved 
us the catching. Now, by Cromwell and the Common- 
wealth, dearly thou payest for the venture.” 

Terror-stricken, they followed this fanatic to the 
prison. With a thundering blow on the oaken panel with 
his huge fist, he brought the jailor to the entrance, and 
turned these helpless females over to him, for the laws 
of Dantima had yet to be satisfied. 

They were locked within the mouldy dungeon of the 
Town Hall. The dampness made them shiver as they 
drew closer together in one corner of the narrow cell that 
was not so gloomy because a long, narrow slit in the wall 
admitted the heart-cheering rays of moonlight that made 
little silver squares on the roughly-hewn sides. They 
could not peer through the opening, because its distance 
from the floor made such a movement impossible. With 
upturned faces they gazed at the small patch of dark sky, 
and wept 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


91 


“Alas! daughter, what have we done, or rather, what 
have we not undone? What madness must have taken 
possession of our senses. After all of Carl’s unselfish 
kindness, we have again placed his life in jeopardy, and 
not only his life, but our own lives as well. We cannot 
hope for mercy from these iron-hearted roundheads. 
Didst thou heed the threats that taunted us in our help- 
lessness ?” 

Florette spake reassuringly: “Mother, bethink thee, 
the Council may be more merciful. The ruffian spoke as 
one that hath small authority in the affairs of this fanat- 
ical burgh. Cheer thee, for the punishment may be 
small.” 

The widow did not reply, but sat on the edge of the 
rude couch, with her hands clasped in prayer, Florette 
could not know the thoughts of her mother, for this" 
reason both were silent. The girl’s mind was filled with 
tender yearnings. How swiftly her thoughts traveled 
to the hero of her soul, the King’s messenger, who was 
even now in the court of King Charles. “And this is the 
end of such a promise for the future.” 

They could not sleep, but thought and thought, until 
the gray streaks of dawn made objects around them dimly 
visible. Then the yellow sun-rays came more broadly. 
They were near to the Council chamber of Dantima. The 
sound of busy feet, coming and going, made their hearing 
doubly acute, but they could not see these solemn-visaged 
men, with their steeple-crown hats and cloaks, then* shorn 
locks, and their untrimmed beards, march so rigidly into 
the hall and take their seats. A psalm from the Bible 
was read by the oldest member of the session ; then the 
trial of these helpless women commenced. 

This widow and her daughter could not see the secret 


92 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


ballot that was taken again and again. Some thoughts 
of mercy still softened their iron hearts. The burly 
covenanter that arrested them swayed the minds of the 
wavering, and the sentence was death by fire and fagot. 

Nothing could touch the bigoted hearts of these stern 
men, who deemed the act a service rendered to God. It 
was a gala day in Dantima. The news that came forth 
from the assembly was received with joy, and the burgh’s 
streets were filled with the morbid cravings of brutal 
human nature. 

The Goliath of these Philistines made merry with the 
misery, as he blustered : “It is for thee, thou Papist fol- 
lowers of the devil, that I plant this strong hewing in 
the ground that we may bind thee securely back to back, 
for I wish not to cheat the flames that hunger for thy 
blood. A merry feast ’twill be for the damnable spirits 
that haunt yon height, to Dantima’s disliking.” 

While he was thus mouthing these inhuman utterances, 
he was busy digging the hole that was to support one 
end of the post. The idle, gaping crowd stood by and ap- 
plauded his wit. Hither and thither t^hese meddlers scur- 
ried to gather the dryest fagots for the holiday, where 
mirth made mercy a mockery. 

Carl heard the unwonted shouts of the burghers that 
the east wind brought so sharply to his ears. A great fear 
fell upon him. The safety of Florette and her mother 
came to him like some dreadful intuition. Without ac- 
quainting Nattie of his intentions, he hurried to Dantima, 
where his worst fears were realized. As the burghers 
knew not how the women gained admittance to the town, 
Carl and his family were safe from persecution. 

The alchemist’s son was hooted at, and jeered at, as he 
hastened across the square to find Father Leonard. He 


A CHEQUERED DEST INY. 93 

heeded naught of this senseless abuse. His thoughts 
were with Florette and her mother. The cruel prepara- 
tions made him shudder. Without even so much as an 
obesiance to the father, he acquainted him of the pris- 
oners’ danger. 

“Father, knowest thou not that the dwellers of the cliff 
are condemned to death ? And I wot not how they were 
discovered. Hasten thou to the Governor’s and plead 
thou for delay.” 

The abbot shook like an aspen leaf when these tidings 
passed into his ears. “Sayest thou, my son, that they will 
burn them at the stake? Then will I call down the ven- 
geance of God and Heaven on their cruel heads.” 

“Haste thou, father, the Council is yet at its sitting. 
Stay this execution but for a day and I will save them, 
or my life shall be the forfeit.” 

“Make not such covenants ; ’tis sinful in God’s sight. I 
will to the sacristy and don my robes, and summon the 
brotherhood.” 

Solemnly this religious order, clothed in the vestments 
of the Church (in close ranks), filed into the gothic as- 
sembly hall, where these bearded men sat upon an ele- 
vated platform that had no other adornments but the 
rude benches where they sat in judgment. Biased by 
the promptings of human hate, no agitation marked their 
demeanor, as they listened with attention to the eloquent 
pleadings of the abbot. 

“Thy request is granted. Without abatement these 
culprits break the laws of Dantima; yet sayeth we not 
nay to thy request. One day’s delay will neither make 
nor break the verdict that seemeth just in our eyes.” 

The Church’s good offices were refused to these (the 
condemned ones) that waited in agony for the moment of 


94 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


execution. Father Leonard departed as he came, his heart 
filled with misgivings for the promises of the alchemist’s 
son, whose boyish enthusiasm carried him beyond the 
bounds of reason. 

Carl’s brave heart was overjoyed that the widow and 
her daughter had a respite. Filled with enthusiasm, he 
turned to the alchemist for help. Yet turned he not in 
vain. The chemist, with a show of impatience, said to 
his boy : 

“Why cometh thou to disturb my busy thoughts ? And 
the formula that would make us beyond the pale of want 
hath flown from me. Fie on thee, for thy rude intrusion.” 

“My father, put by thy dreamings for the while. Two 
dear lives depend on thy skill. Florette and her mother 
are condemned to death on the morrow. The stake and 
fagots are ready for the victims, who cower in terror 
within the dungeon, hard by the assembly hall.” 

“My son, ’tis a Christian heart thou hast in thy breast, 
and God will bless thee to thy dying day for the service 
thou doeth. Tell me, how can I give thee the aid thou 
requirest ?” 

“I wouldst that thou preparest the strange acid that de- 
fieth the flames. The formula is here in this bound vol- 
ume ; and I will love thee with all of a son’s devotion.” 

The boy stood at the elbow of his sire while he 
measured the equivalents with a delicacy that practice 
made perfect. “I have made thee, my son, that which 
will be sufficient for twenty score dry fagots, and thou 
saidst the fagots were dry unto powder. So much the 
better; the fiber of the fagots will greedily absorb the 
liquid.” 

“Art thou sure, dear father, that no error hath crept 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


95 


into thy reckoning, for human lives depend upon thy 
skill?” 

‘‘Go in peace, my son, the fagots have no power to 
harm thy friends. Be cautious, lest thou anger the pow- 
ers that be, to thy misfortune.” 

The early cocks had not yet crown in the barnyards of 
the townsmen. The hour was most propitious, for the 
chains of slumber were heavy on the eyes of these guardi- 
ans of Dantima. Carl and his mother were up betimes, 
while the boy, in his bare feet, crept around the corner 
of the block and secured armsfull of these light fagots 
and carried them to his mother. She, with diligent care, 
plunged each particular limb into the liquid, and laid each 
one by to dry. Thus they labored until the funeral pyre 
was arranged just as the lad had found it. 

Carl embraced his mother with unusual affection and 
gasped : “Would that I could carry the good tidings to 
them in the dungeon. The fear may kill them or do them 
lasting injury. I am powerless to do this good service 
for them, and I will trust to God to sustain their forti- 
tude.” 

The alchemist, his wife and Carl saw the sun rise, yet 
never a wink of sleep had they for watching the prepara- 
tions from the corner of the building that was yet two 
squares away from the stake, until the throng obstructed 
their view. Then they crept into the house to kneel in 
prayer. 

The brutal jailer, with the massive iron key, threw back 
the strong bolts and bellowed : “Come forth, thou children 
of the evil one, and look thy last upon the sun, for the 
time is arrived when thou must yield thy bodies to the 
earth and thy souls to thy master, the devil. What 
availeth thee to weep and moan? ’Twill not lighten the 


96 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


burden of thy endurance. Would that we could serve 
thy companions on the Devil’s Elbow as we serve thee ; 
and must I carry thee to thy destruction.” 

“Not so, thou beast of a jailer. Lay not thy hands 
upon us. We have made our peace with God. Thou 
canst not burn our souls. Lead on, we do but follow 
thee.” They heeded not the merciless goads that came 
from human tongues, but stepped quickly over the circle 
of fagots that seemed innocent of foul intent, and were 
securely bound to the stake, with their backs to each 
other. 

A commotion in the throng stayed the hands that held 
the rich pine torches. The spectators fell back, and the 
monks from the monastery filed in to form a circle around 
the doomed captives. 

The solemn voice of Father Leonard rose above the 
chattering of the citizens. His terrible denunciation 
chilled them into silence, as he thundered : “My children, 
ye do greatly err in thy hearts. This brutal murder will 
be a remorse that will haunt ye to thy dying day. The 
flames that consume the bodies of thy victims will scorch 
thy souls with such remorse that life will be a curse and 
death a never-ending torment. Who among ye will say 
this one hath an evil spirit, or that one is possessed of 
the devil? Wist ye not there is but one Judge of men? 
Dost thou heed the scriptural text, ‘Judge not that ye be 
not judged,’ and mark thou, in the last day when the 
secrets of all hearts are known, how will the record stand 
with thee when thy soul shall be required of thee ?” 

The clamor of the throng drowned the further words 
of Father Leonard, as he advanced and administered the 
last rites of the church to the widow and her child. 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


97 


“Burn them! Set fire to the fagots! Go to, thou 
shaven priest !” was yelled in his ear. 

The tall form of Father Leonard towered above the 
heads of the mob. He raised his hand high over his 
head and shouted : “Hold, madmen ! Ere ye apply the 
torch, know ye that harm shall not come to these. So do 
thy worst. God protects the innocent.” 

“Away with them, and we prove thou best!” Four 
lights were thrust beneath the fagots. “Try thou again,” 
shouted the priest. “Did I not tell thee that God is 
mightier than thou.” 

Consternation paled the faces of those who came to 
mock, as they fled to Bieir houses in dismay. “No one 
accuseth thee,” exclaimed Father Leonard. “God and 
his mercy hath saved thee.” While he was thus dis- 
coursing, he unbound them. The monks formed in two 
lines and placed the widow and her child between them, 
while they moved through the streets. The solemn sound 
of the “Miserere” echoed through the silent avenues. 
When the procession reached the gateway, the saved ones 
passed onwards to the cliif, where King Charles’ troop- 
ers threatened them with a new danger. 

When they reached the sheltering roof of the cottage 
they fell to weeping; which Nattie misconstrued, for he 
soothed them with the assurance that the chapel in the old 
graveyard oflFered an asylum that would defy detection. 
“Its ruins shall shelter us until father’s return. I bethink 
me, thou looketh wan. Tell me what hath happened.” 

Carl sat by the side of his mother and nervously 
twisted the folds of her dress in a score of shapes. He 
did this to conceal the anxiety he felt, while he related 
the details of the danger they had miraculously escaped. 
“I must go to them at any hazard, my mother. If they 


98 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


ever needed a friend it is at this moment. These cruel- 
hearted burghers have no pity in their hearts ? When the 
fear that restrained them is removed they will do Flor- 
ette and her mother further harm.” With an affectionate 
kiss he hurried to the open country, on through the glen, 
and never rested till he stood in the presence of the little 
group, that wept afresh as they related the events that re- 
called the days of miracles. Carl listened gravely to the 
end, and yawned : 

“How sayest thou, my friends? Wot ye not that 
Father Leonard ne’er saved thee from the burning? 
’Twas my father’s skill in compounding strange elements 
that saved thee; elements that turned the fagots into 
stone. Right well Father Leonard knoweth this.” 

“Why sayeth thou this, Carl? To wreck our faith in 
the Church’s power to perform such wonders? Fie on 
thee, Carl.” 

“Say not so, good friends. Far be it from me to wreck 
thy faith in miracles. I do but tell thee the truth. I 
crept forth from our walls ere the early cock of morn 
hath crowded and dipped the fagots in the liquid, and re- 
placed them ere the drowsy world of Dantima was astir. 
’Tis thus, good friends, that they who do the service ne’er 
receive the honor.” 

“Forgive us. Carl. If we owe our lives to thee receive 
the recompense of three grateful hearts, and call thyself 
acquit.” 

“Thou owest much to Father Leonard. My humble 
efforts in thy behalf were not worth a rushlight without 
his assistance. But say no more. I have forgotten the 
old danger in thinking of the new. Oh, that thou wert 
hence and safe from Dantima’s anger.” 

“Be not thou anxious, Carl. Nattie knoweth of a se- 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


9 ^ 


cure retreat in the ruined chapel, whither we will go till 
the danger is passed.” 

“Hark ye, thou persecuted ones. My father’s forge did 
glow with an unwonted flame that had colors so strangely 
mixed that it did make his very flesh to creep, and I mis- 
take not strange happenings will repay Dantima’s reckon- 
ing with a lavish hand and to thy safety will contribute. 
Stay where thou art, my father ne’er strikes amiss.” 

While they yet spake, the clouds on the horizon of the 
sea gathered quickly, and spread across the space of the 
sky ; yet no wind bestirred them. The day darkened even 
to night’s blackness, and the air was still ; yet came there 
a coldness upon Dantima that made the burghers shiver. 
These covenanters, that spared not two helpless women, 
trembled with dread, as they gazed upon the stake and 
fagots. No hand would so much as touch them. 

The maximum power of the unseen world was yet to 
make the burgh a visitation that they would remember for 
generations. Following the chilling cold, an unearthly 
dampness made the blue flames glow from the cliff with 
an intenseness that lighted the streets of Dantima. Even 
the darkest corners shone with a strange shadow that 
resembled the great northern lights of the poles. Ter- 
ror-stricken, they huddled together around their cheerless 
hearths, nor ventured to so much as peep into the de- 
serted streets. 

To crown the horror of the day the sea gave up its 
dead. Phantom ships that hailed from every age and 
clime, were anchored in the bay. Strange and unique 
shapes of every pattern on earth were swinging from 
their cables. Their decks were manned by sailors that 
spoke every language on earth. Tiie grotesqueness of 
their attire was in keeping with the scene. 

L.cfG. 


100 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


Again Dantima was deserted by its people, that sought 
refuge in the country. The streets were thronged with 
ghostly visitors, who entered every house; yet nothing 
was disturbed. The babel of tongues was continuous, and 
pandemonium reigned supreme. There was something 
to indicate the presence of these unearthly visitors. It 
was the mouldy smell of decayed mortality. 

He, of the King’s great seal that hung from the wall, 
was in his usual seat, his drowsy thoughts steeped in beer 
and tobacco, his assistant was turning page by page the 
record, whose parchment was discolored with age. This 
was his duty. Not that the King’s exchequer would be 
benefited thereby — quite the contrary, for sundry pack- 
ages had been admitted without paying a farthing of duty. 
His inspection was terminated suddenly by a grunt from 
his master, who said: 

“Rudolf, tell to me where this damp, fishy smell cometh 
from. Have we bursted barrels in store? Run to the 
upper rooms and inspect those last invoices that came 
from over the sea.” 

As the consignment consisted of two barrels of rum, 
the lad returned with a prompt report. 

“No, sir; we have nothing in the Custom House that 
smelleth like that. It is dreadful, sir; I can’t stand it.” 

“Egad! my boy! the devil is to pay somewhere. It 
seemeth to me that the ocean has been turned bottom-side 
up, and Davy Jones’ locker is emptied of its contents. 
Thy nose, good Rudolf, hath its share of the stink from 
the size. Go to, and hang such an ornament that none 
wish for.” 

“Sir, it is not to my liking, yet it abideth with me till 
the day of my death, and we have not the choosing of 


lOI 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 

such members as seemeth best to us, else had I some of 
thy over-productiveness.” 

“Well spoken, thou faithful Rudolf. Well am I an- 
swered for the pain I gave to thee. Forget it, lad, and we 
will be quits.” 

These pleasantries terminated in a surprise that wa 
abrupt. A stranger entered, preceded by a cold current 
of air that made both men shiver. The clouds of tobacco 
smoke that made the air stifling were swept away as if by 
magic. A man in the outfit of a sailor stood by the desk 
where Rudolf was seated. The Custom House officer 
sat erect in his arm chair, and stared curiously at the sea- 
man. For a time the tongue of this mountain of fat was 
silent. As the visitor came on business, he broke the si- 
lence by remarking: 

“Hello! shipmate! In the name of all that is strange, 
tell me, where dost thou hail from? Where is thy coun- 
try? And what port sailed thou from? Thou must have 
been the Captain of Noah’s Ark, else am I a fool? The 
cut of thy jib and spanker betokeneth this. What hast 
thou to say for thyself?” 

Without noticing these remarks, the stranger gravely 
inquired for some property that had been left some years 
ago. The prospect of a fee for the unclaimed plunder 
sent a thrill of pleasure through the fatness of this offi- 
cer’s body, and he turned with a gracious salutation to 
Rudolf, and ordered: “Show to him the entry and the 
charges. Mind ye, Rudolf, not forgetting the storage, 
which must amount to a considerable sum in good Eng- 
lish sovereigns.” 

“When were they entered for duty, sir? If thou wilt 
give me this data the duty will be quickly performed. 
Hast thou a memorandum?” 


102 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


‘Tt must be now quite three hundred years since the 
parcels were sent to this port. Now, I bethink me, I left 
them here myself.” 

“Left them here thyself, sayest thou?” Rudolf said 
this in a bewildered way, that made the stranger smile. 

“Yea, it seemeth that I have the date in this purse, 
with other papers of like import.” He opened the purse 
that was fastened to his belt by a rusted chain, and drew 
from thence a number of documents that had a musty 
smell. From one of these he produced the slip on which 
was written, “March the 24th, O. S., 1333,” and handed 
it to the accountant, whose books were indexed with 
painstaking regularity. 

“Thou art right,” Rudolf politely answered. “These 
dates agree to a nicety. Seat thyself, and I will make the 
amount due by thee to a penny.” 

“It maketh little matter. Here is a sovereign ; that will 
o’er pay thee. Thy reckoning is worthless.” Saying 
which, he placed in the palm of the clerk’s hand the coin 
that hissed like the seething of steam. A howl from the 
lad followed. The money burned him as red hot iron. 
Quickly he dropped it, and stared at the stranger, who 
was replaced by the skeleton of a dead man. 

Rudolf thrust his head and long neck under his desk, 
and yelled : “Go away from me, thou evil one !” At the 
same time he sent one leg and then the other flying back- 
wards with savage vigor. 

The stranger then walked over to where the proprietor 
was seated, and said : “Here is thy reward in gold. Hold 
thou tight to the precious metal, that none may take it 
from thee.” 

The fat hand was quickly extended, and as quickly 


103 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 

withdrawn. Again the hissing sound was heard, and the 
coin fell to the floor, where it disappeared. 

^‘God wot but thou art a ghostly visitor for the mak- 
ing. The Devil’s Elbow hath no greater horror.” He 
glanced up as he said this, and stared at vacancy. 

I dreaming, Rudolf?” As he said this he mopped the 
great beads of moisture from his brow, while his flesh 
was likened unto jelly with the quivering. “What mean- 
eth this? See to it, Rudolf, that thou securest the coin 
that must be on the floor.” 

“In good sooth, sir; there remaineth but two burnt 
holes, where the coins dropped. The touch of the devil’s 
wages was as molten lead, and yet it leaveth no mark 
on my hand. How is it with thee ?” 

“See thou, my boy, for thy sight is with younger eyes.” 
He extended the huge member, which the clerk examined, 
and said : “In good sooth, thou hast not the mark that 
the King’s messenger took with him to London town; 
neither hast thou burn or inflammation.” 

“ ’Tis well, good Rudolf ; go thou to the arch and tell 
me whence cameth the stranger.” 

A startling cry came from the entrance. The lad ran 
back trembling in every tall joint. “My God, sir; every 
ship that ever was built since the world was created is 
in the bay.” 

The mountain of fat seemed fairly alive as it ambled 
to the door, and gazed at the terrifying scene. Then 
Rudolf gave another yell, and shouted: “The town is 
full of these spirits.” Without waiting for further orders 
he ran through the streets, yelling like a madman. He 
heard footsteps behind him, and redoubled his efforts. 
His joints worked in sections, the length of his stride dis- 
tanced his pursuer ; then a wailing voice reached his ears : 


104 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


'‘Don’t leave me, Rudolf.” As the twain were near the 
gate, Rudolf halted and waited for his master to come up. 
“Thou gavest me such a fright, my master, that I will 
not get over it for a twelvemonth. Methought the devil 
was after me.” 

The clerk had a fit of laughing that overcame him. 
“Didst thou see thyself, thou helpless mass of flesh, sway- 
ing from side to side, like a ship in a storm. Come, sit 
thou on this stump, for thou blowest hard. ’Tis well 
the moisture cometh freely, or thou wert a dead man to 
mingle with these shades.” 

“Rudolf, hast thine eyes ere seen the like? All Dan- 
tima is without the walls. Our ship is deserted. I would 
not venture to return for the wealth of King Charles.” 

Darkness grew apace, the revelries within the walls 
waxed louder as the shadows deepened, songs, drinking, 
and feasting held high carnival, till the clock on the 
Cathedral tower sounded the hour of midnight, and Dan- 
tima was repeopled with frightened mortality again. 

The fagots and stake had been removed. Lying on 
the spot, with their faces turned to the stars, were the 
brutal jailor and the covenanter that prepared the funeral 
pyre. 

The alchemist was not molested. His son, with the 
three from the clifif, saw the ships in the bay; saw the 
grim-visaged faces everywhere. In terror they sat side by 
side, while a thousand forms glided around them. Yet, 
did these shadows take no notice of the little group, be- 
cause their eyes were fixed on the town and its carnival. 

“Thou art safe in the cottage, so fear thee not. Dan- 
tima hath its lesson that were well worth the learning. I 
will hasten to my home, that I may see and report to 
thee. I’ll e’en wager a crown that father knoweth naught 
pf this ; but still delveth in his crucibles.” 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


105 


CHAPTER X. 

THE king's messenger MEETS THE DUCHESS, AND IS 
IMPRISONED IN THE TOWER. 

When the King’s messenger and Sir Aubrey reached 
London, their steeds were jaded by the long and heated 
ride. For this reason they picked their way through the 
busy thoroughfares. 

“Whither goest thou, Sir Jasper — to the King’s cham- 
bers, or to my apartments?” 

“To thy apartments, Aubrey. It mattereth little to me, 
since these gewgaws are but the vaporings of a dissolute 
life that hath now no charms for me.” 

“Sayest thou so, thou hot-headed cavalier monk. Wait 
till thou seest thy friend, the duchess. A hundred times 
within the year hath she made inquiry for thee. Heedest 
thou the sullen discontent that broodeth over London? 
’Tis the muttering of the storm that will soon break upon 
us. The King hath lost his head, and maketh promises to 
Parliament that he doth not fulfill. These be sorry times, 
as thou wilt soon learn when thou reacheth court.” 

When these mud-bedraggled riders brought up sharply 
at the entrance of the gilded palace of this noblehian (who 
stood high in the King’s favor), they dismounted, and 
each sought his comfort in a scented bath. When these 
ablutions were ended, Sir Jasper glanced at the gaudy 
attire that His Majesty’s thoughtfulness had provided. 
A sneer wreathed his moustached lip. “Must I don these 
robes to please the King? Then the cursed letter will 
make me but an idle curiosity, and I shall be angered by 


io6 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


the masquerading that perchance will cost me my head. 
Thus do I live between hope and fear.’' 

Sir Aubrey surveyed the King’s messenger with a 
right royal pride, as he gave the doublet a better setting 
from the broad shoulders. “Now will I conduct thee to 
the King, who waiteth with some impatience for thy 
coming. What doest thou? A plague upon thy priestly 
robe that would hide such manly proportions. The un- 
sightly thing flaps around thee like some good house- 
wife’s scarecrow that saveth the turnip patch.” 

“Aubrey, I seek not to tempt His Majesty’s hot dis- 
pleasure, to my undoing. Say no more. I will e’en wear 
the cowl that I may hide the devil’s mark that groweth 
whiter day by day. Lead on ; I will follow by the short- 
est way to the court.” 

“The Queen is thy friend. See to it that thou angereth 
her not. She hath more firmness than her royal consort.” 

Arm in arm. Sir Aubrey and the King’s messenger 
(whose rich attire was hidden by the sacred robes) 
passed the palace guard and moved onward through a 
succession of high arched halls unto the throne room, 
where King Charles and his court were receiving ambas- 
sadors from France. When this ceremony was ended the 
noblemen knelt at the feet of the royal pair and kissed the 
extended hand of each with courtly reverence. 

“Sir Jasper, thou art right welcome to our presence. 
We repent us of our displeasure, and reinstate thee in our 
courtly favor. England can illy spare the services of so 
true a knight.” 

The King’s eyes rested on the cowl and hood that was 
thrown back to loosen the curling locks and show his 
rich attire. His Majesty’s eyes flashed with anger as he 
jested: “Art thou Peter the Hermit, that cometh from 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


107 


the Holy Sepulcher, or art thou the minstrel that singeth 
of their knightly deeds?” 

“I am neither, Your Majesty; I did but hide the glaring 
letter that gaveth thee such offence. Wot ye not that I 
have taken holy orders, else it were a perfidy to wear 
such robes.” 

“Tell me. Sir Jasper, is thy sword still loyal to thy 
King, or does the Church of Rome claim thy allegiance ?” 

The King’s messenger bowed with a peculiar grace, as 
he replied: “Sire, my sword, my life, and services are 
thine to command. I am no veering weather-cock, to 
change with every wind that blows.” 

“Well said, thou loyal subject of a king. Would that 
other hearts were as true to our royal person as thou art.” 
With a weary sigh, he glanced around and continued: 
“Alas ! that I should have to say so much.” 

Then the King turned to Sir Aubrey and said : “To 
thee our gracious thanks are due for the prompt dispatch 
of our commission.” 

“I would bespeak thy sovereign graces for thy mes- 
senger, and would recommend that thou be graciously 
pleased to place him at the head of thy troopers in the 
onslaught. Such hot-headed riding was ne’er seen. Hills, 
ravines and hollows swept by us like a flash. I marvel 
greatly that he reacheth Your Grace with a sound body.” 

“It was to please his King. A courser’s laggard heels 
would be a poor compliment for a return to kingly favor.” 

The studied absence of criticism at the court disarmed 
the morbid disposition that was wont to harrow the mes- 
senger’s feelings. The cavalier monk regained all of the 
vivacity that made his presence a charm. Dantima and its 
ghostly surroundings grew dimmer as the days rolled by. 
His ambition that basked in royal sunshine bloomed all 


io8 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


the brighter for the dimness that misfortune clouded for 
a time. The smiles of these court beauties were exhilarat- 
ing as the effects of wine. The duchess, with a woman’s 
tact, kept him at her side, and in such a manner that it 
seemed to him that she was using him for some particular 
purpose. He grew more cautious in his inner humors, 
and more bold in his outward gallantries. One night, 
when revelry ruled the hour, and His Majesty’s wine 
flagons were being depleted, the duchess pinned her 
colors to the silken surface of his doublet, and laughingly 
said : 

‘‘Come, thou man of the silent tongue ; I have need of 
thy gallantry. Right well shalt thou be paid. It is not 
for other ears. Come thou to Ashton Park on the 
morrow.” 

“With a right good grace ; should the King have hasty 
need of my services, then take thou no offence at the ab- 
sence that must be debtor to duty.” 

Sir Jasper bethought himself of Florette. The thought 
brought to him a twinge of remorse. Far back within his 
memory there came a recollection that the duchess was 
in some manner related to the idol of his soul, but the 
scenes were so intermixed with stirring events that his 
memory failed him, and he dismissed it with reluctance. 

The following day this duchess, a court favorite, drove 
homeward at a rapid gait. She passed under the stone 
arch that was overgrown with ivy, passed the porter’s 
lodge and drew rein at thedoorway of Ashton Park. With- 
out delay, she changed her rich garments for the com- 
fortable dresses of home, and sat by the cheerful fire that 
blazed on the hearth, for the fall weather was frosting the 
flowers. She touched a call-bell at her side and waited 
for the summons to be answered. 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


log 


“Take this note to Mr. Dornford, my counselor, and 
wait for an answer. See to it that he gets same and de- 
liver thou it into his hands. Away with thee. Act with 
diligence. If he is in London I would know it.” 

In three hours the postilion returned with not only an 
answer, but he returned with the advocate himself. 

This person that rummaged among the effects at the 
Custom House in Dantima had not changed in the least 
particular. The same restless eyes glanced from one ob- 
ject to another with such rapidity that it was hard to study 
the outlines of his face. He spoke deferentially to the 
owner of the mansion in a suggestive manner that long 
acquaintance had cultivated. 

“I received the summons. Your Grace. Fortunately, 
the missive found me at home. I was just leaving for 
London, where I have some court business that is pressing 
me sharply. What are thy commands?” 

“Many thanks for thy promptness. Well thou knowest 
that I dislike delay. Be seated near to the fire, as a mist 
dampeneth thy garments.” 

“I am all attention to thy wishes.” 

“Mr. Dornford, it seemeth clear to my mind that we 
can obtain some valuable information from Sir Jasper. 
He knoweth that which he is unwilling to tell. He know- 
eth both branches of our family. Someway I feel that the 
little port of Dantima holds the key of our destiny. I do 
not believe that the letters were burned, thy judgment 
to the contrary notwithstanding.” 

“Thy fears are groundless. The half-witted lad and the 
Custom House clerk so stated. I have little reason to 
doubt their statement, since they would have small cause 
to misrepresent the truth.” 

“Right glad am I that thou thinketh thus, but I have 


no 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


sore misgivings in this matter. Ever since Sir Jasper 
betook himself to Dantima, and returned with that bright 
letter on his breast, there lurketh the scent of danger. 
His reticence is marvelous.” 

“A woman’s intuition is oft superior to man’s soundest 
judgment. Bethink thee ’twas in the service of King 
Charles that he went? Some affairs of State that sent 
him thither? Thou wouldst not wish to know that which 
would condemn thee to the Tower.” 

“The nobleman will be here to-morrow. I would sound 
him well for the telling that is the loom of our destiny.” 

“It will do little harm, since he refused to impart to the 
King the details of the adventure, and preferred banish- 
ment to royal favor. It seemeth to me that thy best en- 
deavors will end in failure.” 

Her face flushed with excitement, as she hissed : “Then 
will I send this titled fool to the Tower.” 

“Be not over-rash. Your Grace; try thou gentler ways 
of securing his confidence. And the King should refuse 
thy demands, what then would be thy course of proceed- 
ings ?” 

“I will acquaint His Majesty with the suspicions that 
haunt my soul. The secret must be forced from his lips, 
or off goes his head.” 

“Softly! In this thou art grossly mistaken. The King 
dare not behead this cavalier; it would strengthen the 
cause of these roundheads. It looketh more to me that 
His Majesty’s own head sitteth not securely on his 
shoulders. Again, how would the knowledge benefit thy 
cause? Be not rash. Fill thou him with wine, the be- 
trayer of all confidences, and his glib tongue will give 
thee the desire of thy heart.” 


4 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


Ill 


‘ I can well be sworn, thou art right. Hast thou 
thought of the evil tongues that revel in such slander?’^ 

“Your Grace, slander gained thee thy case in court. 
Slander might be the goodly means of keeping what thou 
hast.” 

This superb woman, with a scheming heart, winced at 
the counselor’s remarks, yet answered she nothing, but sat 
thus for full ten minutes, her jeweled hand toying with 
the crimson velvet fringe that bordered the table cover. 
The indigo blue of her eyes took on a peculiar hue from 
the reflection of the fire-light. Her black hair had a 
deeper tinge. Her thoughts were over-busy with the si- 
lence of the apartment. A hundred times she turned the 
costly ring that was an heirloom in the family, as she 
wistfully studied the future in the glowing depths of the 
fire. 

The following afternoon this haughty dame made her 
toilet with all of the art that fashion demanded. All of 
the coquetry of her nature was aroused, for the game to 
be played was no ordinary one. A score of times she 
turned to the great mirror that ornamented the marble 
mantel with its bronzed statuettes. She gave a little pat 
of impatience with her jeweled-slippered feet at the tardi- 
ness of her expected guest. The thought of his failure 
to appear at the hour that had been agreed upon made her 
nervous. This feeling passed quickly. The nobleman’s 
name was announced. 

“Thrice welcome, thou cavalier monk; pray be seated. 
I will give to the servitors orders that no one be admitted 
to the mansion to mar the enjoyment of this day.” 

“Thanks, Your Grace; with me, woman’s eyes are 
love’s elixir to banish worrying care.” He gave a bold 
look of admiration at this superb creature, whose violet 


II2 


' A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 

eyes were veiled by lashes of unusual length. Her head 
rested on one jeweled hand; this position displayed the 
shapely arm that was supported by the table that was be- 
tween them. 

“Ah ! thou charming nobleman, since thy religious re- 
treat in Dantima thy tongue hath not forgotten its soft 
notes of flattery; the absence hath softened the rugged- 
ness of thy face’s skin and added to the measure of His 
Majesty’s wine flagons, to the betterment of his 
revenues.” 

“Thou wouldst tempt me to the undoing of my vow? 
Then what meanest these liquors that have a thousand 
ruby eyes, yet none so bright as thine?” 

She laughed softly, and clapped her plump hands in a 
childish manner that was charming, as she replied: “I 
wonder not that the Queen doth keep thee at her side 
when thou sayest such gallant speeches. Dost thou re- 
serve thy bon mots for the royal family?” 

“How much do I owe to the graciousness of Her Ma- 
jesty’s kindness, else this head were lying by the side of 
the block and ax. None can be more generous with grate- 
fulness than he who stands before thee.” 

“Forgive the remission, Sir Jasper; sit thou close by my 
side, thou turnest my poor head with thy compliments. 
In good sooth I am thy warmest friend, and yet thou 
knowest it not. Thy face haunts me ; there is a deep- 
seated sorrow that thy keen wit hideth )^et not entirely. A 
smile of sadness sweeps over thy visage betimes that re- 
veal eth its sad story. Tell me of thy life, and thou findest 
not in all England so swift a listener ; let me share thy 
burden, as I have none of my own.” 

“Then be it far from me to mar the happiness of thy 
existence with sorrows that were not worth the mention- 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


113 

ing ; every spring hath its tears, else had not summer the 
.flowers.” 

“How shall I entertain thee, then, thou ingrate? No 
visitors shall mar the joyousness of these hours that wine 
shall make more brilliant.” 

“Give me but the glances of thine eyes, that would 
charm a saint from Heaven.” 

“It seemeth they charm thee not, thou hard of heart.” 

“Bethink thee I am no angel. Your Grace.” 

“It rather inclines me to men than angels.” She sighed 
as she said this, and continued : “Men are in the body, 
but angels are in the spirit only.” 

“There is a constraint with thee that this wine will melt 
like the dew of morning. Thy priestly vows bind thee no 
more, since thou art in the service of the sovereign. Tell 
me of Dantima, and of thy life whilst thou wert there; 
^twill be more marvelous than dreams of Arabia. Tell 
me how earnest thou by that sorcerer’s letter that hath an 
unearthly glow even beneath thy cowl. Tell me why 
thou becamest a monk. Right well I know thy heart 
ached to forego the pleasures of King Charles’ court.” 

“ ’Twas a fool’s errand and a fool’s reward that made 
the wager at Mother Shiply’s Inn a curse to mark me 
thus. For such reason took I the holy orders, and thereby 
lost the friendship of England’s King, and was banished 
for a duty bravely done. Such is the temperament of 
these uncertain times.” 

She drew yet nearer to the cavalier monk, and in an 
eager whisper said: “Go on with thy adventure; seest 
thou not that my ears are strained to catch the faintest 
sound of thy voice ?” 

“ ’Twas state despatches that His Majesty gave into my 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


114 

keeping. I delivered these to the proper officer ; naught 
else can I tell thee.’^ 

She filled a glass with wine and held it to his lips, and 
then drew back while a flash of anger passed over her 
face, as she whimpered: “Thinkest thou that the wine 
is drugged to thy undoing? See, I drink to the health 
of thy hermitless cell, whose walls are forsaken by thee.’’ 

He answered not a word when this toast was so beau- 
tifully delivered. He feared this scheming woman more 
than the wine, because she had the private ear of King 
Charles. Well he knew the anxious hopes that filled her 
false and fickle soul. Florette was not forgotten. 

'‘How, now, thou obdurate one ; is it thus I invite thee 
to Ashton Park that thou mayst insult me? Thou hast 
forgotten my station in life.’’ 

“I meant thee no offence, thou queenly one. How the 
Church’s vows come like a ghost to haunt me. I am yet in 
orders, though in His Majesty’s service. I am sorely 
tempted; have thou mercy on me.” 

“One glass and I acquit thee of the offense.” 

The glasses were filled to the brim. The King’s mes- 
senger and the duchess arose to quaff the wine, yet neither 
tasted the nectar. A solemn stillness hushed the air ; awe- 
stricken they stared in wonder as the full, rich notes of 
a miserere filled every nook of the apartment. 

The far-away weird sound made the music enchanting. 
Near and nearer sounded the solemn notes that Sir Jas- 
per had heard a hundred times ; ’twas the brotherhood in 
the monastery at Dantima admonishing him of his danger, 
the danger of a tempted brother, whose vows might not 
be so lightly broken. 

With a groan that touched the duchess’ heart, he fell 
upon his knees and elevated his crucifix on high. In a 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


sweet, though sad, voice he replied. With a grand swell 
of harmony the chanting died away. The mysterious 
arms were around his neck ; the same voice exclaimed : 
“Come to me, thou art mine.” How these words thrilled 
him with a supernatural power. Then the strings of a 
lute were swept by a practiced hand, and a musical voice 
sang : 

Come to me quickly, and banish the gloom, 

That sweeps o’er my soul like a deadly simoon, 
Sweeps over my heart and its hot desert air, 

To leave only shadows and poisoned despair. 

“Drink, Sir Jasper, shadows shall never frighten my 
soul.” Again they raised their glasses ; the wine was 
thrown upon the fire, where it sputtered and blazed with 
a blue flame, while the glasses were dashed to pieces on 
the stone hearth. 

“Am I mad. Your Grace? Hath reason deserted her 
throne?” He said this while he wiped the dews of cold 
perspiration from his forehead. ' “Didst thou hear and 
heed the strange happening?” 

She sat cowering in the armchair that was nearest to 
her as she whispered hoarsely : “Right well I heard the 
solemn warning for thee.” Then she glided towards him 
as if to claim his protection. Again the phantom arms 
were around his neck, and the voice said : “Move thou on, 
move thou on.” 

He arose, from the seat and walked to the door. He 
did not even glance around to see if the duchess was con- 
scious of his movements. She glided like some beautiful 
leopard to the entrance, to prevent the escape of her prey. 
She moaned : “Thou shalt not leave me thus, until thou 
hast explained to me the mystery that passeth all wonder. 
I have the right to know ; like the warning finger on the 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


ii6 


wall, it presages the downfall of my house. Thou canst 
save me by the telling of thy adventure.^’ 

‘T can tell thee naught ; ask thou the King.’^ 

“Thinkest thou that the rosary thou wearest has not 
been in my hands a good score of times ? Now canst thou 
say that thou hast not met these enemies that would de- 
stroy me and mine ? If thou deny me this request, I will 
to His Majesty at once and tell him thou hast proved a 
miscreant to thy trust and to thy sovereign/' 

‘‘Then thou art a fiend to mar the happiness of a life. I 
had no commission save the bearer of despatches to the 
Custom House officer, and this I did fulfill and with 
dispatch." 

“If thou telleth me not, to the Tower thou goest. Well 
thou knowest what this means. I am a desperate woman ; 
see, the door is locked." 

Some impression came to him as he moved slowly to 
the entrance. The portal swung backwards on its hinges 
and the nobleman passed out into the darkness and re- 
turned to London. 

When he was gone the duchess sat like one in a dream. 
One cold shiver after another passed through her well- 
shaped limbs. She sank on an ottoman near to the brass 
fenders where the heat was fiercest. “I cannot fight the 
dead," she plaintively moaned, “for the spirits wander 
back to life to cheat me of my prey. I will go to the 
King on the morrow and acquaint him of this wonder. I 
will tell him of the rosary and paint the picture to this 
messenger’s undoing. The King dare not refuse me the 
request. The Tower shall bring the secret from his lips, 
or silence them forever." 

In the early hours of the morning she hastened to Lon- 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


don and drove at once to the palace, where she had a pri- 
vate audience with His Majesty. 

“What brings thee to London at this early hour? It 
must be that which needeth prompt attention, or I mis- 
take thee over-much.’' 

“Sir Jasper hath deceived thee. Right well he knoweth 
of that which thou wisheth most to have tidings, and from 
Dantima, that bringeth trouble to thy reign.” 

“Now by St. George will I summons him at once and 
learn the truth of what thou speaketh so fairly unto our 
royal ear. I would have thee present that thou mayest 
accuse this knight of the silent tongue of that thou tellest 
with such a mystical grace.” 

When the nobleman came unto the King he uncovered 
his head and made a cold bow to the duchess. He waited 
in silence for the tempest that was yet to break on his 
unhappy life. 

“Sir Jasper, can it be possible that so loyal a heart as 
thine beats but to deceive thy sovereign, or that thou hast 
proved recreant to our royal will when high commissions, 
or policies of state, need men whose very souls should be 
mirrors of bright honor ? Alas ! that thou should with- 
hold the truth to screen from justice outlaws that defy my 
power.” 

“Your Majesty, such is not the truth. I fulfilled thy 
Gracious Majesty’s instructions to the letter. What hap- 
pened outside of this was of my choosing, and I am re- 
paid for the foolish wager that concerneth neither thee 
nor thy kingdom.” 

“Well and truly spoken. Sir Jasper. As a proof of my 
graciousness, I command thee to relate how thou earnest 
by that strange marking. I have staked my life upon the 
trueness of thy loyal heart. This is the touchstone that 


A' CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


ii8 

will refine a purer gold, or it will mark the taintings that 
belong alone to traitors. Now, what sayest thou?” 

“Again I tell thee, my King, that I have naught to say 
in this matter.” 

His Majesty summoned an officer of the palace guard 
and said something in a low voice. Bowing low the offi- 
cer retired. The group that stood in the throne room 
were silent. This silence was disturbed by the tramp of 
armed men that filed in and surrounded the King’s mes- 
senger. 

“Off to the Tower with him, that he may have time to 
reflect. With gloomy silence let him commune. I want 
no such close-tongued subjects, that smile and dumbly say 
me nay. If thou preferest a dungeon to a palace, why, in 
good sooth, the choice is thine.” 

With a low bow, the King’s messenger saluted until he 
reached the exit, where Sir Aubrey intercepted him. The 
instructions to the guard were strict ; for this reason the 
prisoner’s friend was not permitted to hold converse with 
him, and thus Sir Jasper found the solid walls more com- 
panionable than His Majesty’s hot temper. 

“This is life,” the prisoner soliloquized. “How many 
buffets hath misfortune for me.” Then the thought came 
to him that the mysterious power was ever with him. Yet 
he used not the gift to his releasing, for well he knew 
that the King would be more curious as to the means 
employed. 

Sir Aubrey hastened to acquaint the Queen with the 
misfortune that befell his friend. Her intercession again 
saved this nobleman from death. 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


CHAPTER XL 

DANGER AT THE COTTAGE — THE TROOPERS TAKE POSSESSION. 

There was an anxious group that gathered around 
the fire at the cottage. Nattie had seen a red light far out 
to sea. To strengthen this conviction the war vessels in 
the bay were moving seaward, with their guns shotted 
and manned. The nervous tension of the widow and her 
children was at its maximum, while the boy arranged the 
signal for danger and swept the horizon with the old 
ship’s glass. 

“It is father’s vessel, a swift-winged ocean courser,” 
Nattie exclaimed. “He sees the danger and has changed 
his tack and is sailing northward.” The booming of the 
King’s cannons shook the house on the Devil’s Elbow. 

“Oh, my son, did any of the shots strike the ship? I 
wish this was the end of the trouble ; I am so tired of this 
risk and danger. I will vow ten candles to our lady and 
gold to feed the poor if he escapes ; if he is captured the 
King will behead him and thou wilt be fatherless.” 

“Tush ! mamma, the two war vessels are no match for 
papa’s beautiful ship; the King’s cruisers are crowding 
sail to get within shorter range, and our sloop still gains 
in space, and leads them a merry chase. Fear not ; when 
darkness is upon us, he whom we love so dearly will 
shelter in the cavern.” Boom! “There goes father's 
stern chaser, and the gun was well aimed, for the shot has 
disabled one of the pursuers. They are clearing away 
the splintered mainmast; the other is gaining, or papa is 
preparing to give battle.” 

“No! no! my son^ tell me not so. I cannot bear this 


120 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


suspense. How does he now? ’Twould be madness to 
think of such a venture.” 

“He has put the ship about and sails eastward. I see 
the red gleam on her starboard beam ; night is closing in 
upon them. The lights on the enemies’ decks grow 
brighter. I can see nothing but the signals.” Nattie at- 
ranged the curtains and resumed his watch. “All the 
lights are out on our vessel, while the English men-of- 
war are cruising far out to sea. I can just make out their 
lanterns ; they are hull down abreast of the water.” 

A faint, low whistle came from beneath their feet. Nat- 
tie hastened out to the seemingly harmless well. With all 
his strength he turned the handle of the windlass a dozen 
of times, and rushed into the cottage to be clasped in his 
father’s arms. 

“Well, Nattie, my boy, hast thou stood by thy guns, as 
I told thee? I am sure that thou hast, for the safety of 
these dear ones tell me as much.” 

“Yes, sir. I have done my best.” The boy’s mother in- 
terrupted him with :.“My husband, he has done more than 
his best. Oh, how manly he has been ; how vigilant ; and 
much information he has gained that will help our cause.” 

“Didst thou find the bundle of letters in yon antiquated 
Custom House?” 

“No, sir ; I found the sailor’s kit, the package of letters 
was not with the other effects. I have the date that the 
seaman came hither, and have located the grave in yon 
old churchyard. I discovered beneath the chapel vault 
the register of births and marriages and deaths. The 
marriage was a legal one. I have little else to relate.” 

Again he embraced his son, and replied : “In good 
sooth hast thou done well in this matter. Had the bundle 
of letters been found our troubles would have ended, and 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


I2I 


we would have sailed from this port with happy hearts. 
Thou must e’en try thy luck once more.” 

“It may not be so, my father. I heard the fat collector 
of the King say that a troop of soldiers was on the high- 
way bound for Dantima. They come to surround and de- 
stroy us. They have orders to set fire to the cottage. I will 
take Dareall and scour the forest. They cannot be so far 
away, because for two days they have been on the march. 
Thou seest that the apartments are bare of furnishings, 
and we awaited thy coming with some anxiety,” 

Having said this, Nattie and his dog climbed down the 
steepest part of the hill and circled the grotto, where the 
dog placed his nose to the ground and set off at a gentle 
lope that soon left the boy behind. “The danger is nearer 
than I suspected, for Dareall hath the keen scent of a 
bloodhound. Some spy came hither to the spring and re- 
turned with water to where they now are. My good dog 
will come back to me within the minute.” 

It was well that little Nattie was familiar with the paths 
and byways of this great woods, with its rank vegetation, 
for the test of his woodcraft was invaluable in this emer- 
gency. The sagacious brute doubled on his tracks, came 
up behind the boy and rubbed his cold nose on the out- 
stretched hand that always had a pat of encouragement 
for the dog. 

“Hast thou found these ungodly knaves, thou prince of 
good fellows ? Then lead on slowly and I will follow thee.” 

This noble animal moved rapidy for a league and then 
gave Nattie the signal of danger by settling flat on the 
ground, while he sniffed the air with his black nose. 

The young scout moved cautiously forward, yet he 
could see no sign of the troopers. He followed the dog 
until they came to a washout, where he saw the glimmer 


122 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


of lights on the underbrush. The soldiers were concealed 
in a deep depression that ran east and west. He crept 
forward until he was in earshot, where he parted the tall 
weeds and glanced sharply down on five score of His 
Majesty’s picked soldiers; by the fire-light he counted 
five score of mounted men, besides the officers. The 
rashers of bacon smelled enticingly as they stewed over 
the coals, while the bright accoutrements of the intruders 
reflected the yellow rays of the firelight. The rum in 
their flasks swept away their vigilance as well as their 
caution, for they had no sentries posted to warn them of 
danger. 

The captain of this troop was ill-tempered and spoke 
sharply to the soldiers, who paid little heed to his grumb- 
ling. "‘Wist ye not that His Majesty gave thee strict or- 
ders that no fires should be made, and here twenty flames 
do send their shafts of light upwards, to betray thy pres- 
ence.” 

“Wist ye not,” a stout trooper replied, “that the King 
gave orders to advance to battle without waiting for day- 
light, and devil a one wishes to take the old rookery when 
the devil’s dance house at such unseemly hours sends 
forth its groans and ungodly lights ; not a man of ye is 
brave enough to meet full-handed these horrors.” 

“To-morrow by sun-up be thou booted and in the sad- 
dle. Hold! ’twere better to leave the horses here in this 
ravine where they will be secure from detection.” 

With their saddles for pillows they soon broke the still- 
ness of night by their loud snoring, that hard riding made 
more deep. 

Nattie crawled to a safe distance from the camp and 
walked briskly to the cottage, where he found the dear 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


123 


ones eagerly awaiting his return. “What hast thou to 
tell us of thy adventure, my son?” 

“Five score of troopers sleep in the hollow near to the 
spot where thou wouldst meet the agent from London. 
Stout troopers are they all ; most of them are men picked 
from His Majesty’s squadrons. By sun-up they move 
upon us, led by one of Dantima’s burghers, who knoweth 
the way right well.” 

“Make thou no fires, for I would deceive them. Let 
cold ashes and colder hearths await them. Let us make 
use of the time that yet belongeth unto us.” The captain 
of the unnamed cruiser went down into the cavern and 
returned with his sailors, who transferred all of the house- 
hold movables to the ship, while these anxious hearts pre- 
pared to follow in the wake of these furnishings. 

“Nattie, I must deliver these despatches in London, 
since the agent whom I expected to see will not be able 
to meet me at the appointed place, I must intrust the 
papers to thee. Remain thou in Dantima ; as thou art not 
of sound mind, thy coming and going will not be marked. 
I will return for thee when the moon darkeneth in the 
coming month.” 

“My father, hast thou forgotten the collar that encir- 
cleth the dog’s neck. It was made for such a purpose, and 
I go not to London.” 

“Thy wit is beyond thy years. The dog will go straight 
to the master that owned him, and the despatches will be 
safely delivered if thou canst make him understand the 
duty required.” 

Tears gathered in Nattie’s eyes as he sobbed: “I will 
not see the dog again. A thousand times he hath be- 
friended thee and thine, and thus he is rewarded for his 
faithfulness/' 


124 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


'‘Then must I return these documents and report a fail- 
ure of a duty that I have staked my life upon. These are 
the most important of my secret bearings. I know not 
what seemeth best for me and mine.” 

“My father, I will e’en send Dareall on this mission, if 
thou wilt await the faithful creature’s return. Let the 
King’s soldiers take the house, we will be safely con- 
cealed beneath in the cavern ; I wager a good crown that 
they burn not the cottage, and should they do so, they 
will not find our place of retreat ; the dog is fleet of foot, 
and will return ere thou hast missed him ; give me the 
despatches and I will go hence into the forest and await 
Dareall’s returning.” 

Nattie removed the dog’s collar, and unscrewed the 
middle band that was double; it was made for the 
purpose of deceiving; the documents were of the light- 
est parchment, and were snugly fitted into the recep- 
tacle, the band was replaced, the boy^ kissed each one 
good-bye and glided into the darkness of the forest. He 
threw his arms around the dog’s neck, lowered his nozzle 
to the ground where the feet of the agent had trodden, 
and said in a low tone of voice: “Be off with ye, my 
faithful friend,” and returned to the cottage to wait the 
breaking of dawn. 

The sun was full three hours in the sky ere the watchers 
on the cliff heeded the advance of these soldiers of King 
Charles. Nattie flanked them ; from his place of conceal- 
ment he watched them strive up the rugged steep, their 
heavy leathern boots and accoutrements made the ascent 
difficult. When they reached the top of the hill they 
thirsted for water, but the well was dry ; the lad had de- 
tached the rope that opened the great doors to the cavern, 
he heard the curses of disappointment as these marauders 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


125 


moved through the empty cottage; then he crept down 
to where the dog would find him, and knew not the fate 
of the dear ones hidden in the ship. 

When the boy had gone to the woods, mother and 
daughter pressed closely to the captain’s side, while he 
touched a secret spring that caused the heavy mantel 
with its fireplace to swing noiselessly back on its hinges ; 
they descended by a circular flight of steps into the 
bowels of the earth, and descended not a moment too 
soon, because the tramp of heavy footsteps sounded above 
them. 

“His Majesty is over- frightened,” the officer said with' 
an oath, “naught see I to shake the nervous bones with a 
senseless quaking that betokeneth so much fear; I wot 
not why the King should burn so goodly a pile ; should he 
graciously make me a warrant for the title I could with 
Betina live here at my ease and give good promise to His 
Majesty that no plottings mar the peacefulness of his 
reign.” 

Again and again these hardy troopers sounded the 
walls, rapped with their sword hilts upon the panels and 
floors that gave no hollow sound. Right heartily they 
jeered at the spy from Dantima, who became wroth at 
their hilarity and whined : “I wager thee a month’s pay 
of thy allowance that thou canst hold thy own with the 
imps of darkness not a single hour. Tarry thou till the 
clock in Dantima’s tower ringeth out the hour of twelve, 
and if daylight findeth thee with whole bones, then is this 
purse of sovereigns thine.” 

“Good citizen, thy gold be mine. Thinkest thou a hun- 
dred of the King’s tried troopers fear what thy timid 
brain creates by the fearing. Go to, thou makest thy com- 


126 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


plaint to London for naught ; a flimsy tale bear I to my 
superior officer, and be laughed at for the venture.” 

‘‘And thou burnest it not for the good of Dantima, thou 
trooper of the King ; then thou fulfillest not the orders of 
thy King.” 

“No such orders had I.” 

“Stay thou then ; I will see what is left of thee betimes 
on the morrow. Be it as thou wisheth, thou fool, and I 
depart.” 

“Thou goest not a foot, else find I not thee for the win- 
ning. In yon old town thy visages are as like as farthing 
pieces, and I could not pick thee from the town’s gather- 
ing, and thou wagereth my life. Stay thou here the night, 
or it goeth rough with thee ; thou flieth and this straight 
blade empaleth thee.” 

Quaking with fear this persecutor of the innocent sat 
him down in the farthest corner and waited for the peals 
that would mark the hour of twelve. He looked timidly 
around upon the sleeping soldiers and counted the beat- 
ings of his heart above the snoring. A cold shiver ran 
through his body as the twelfth hour broke the stillness 
of midnight. 

A rumbling noise awoke every sleeping soldier ; a 
strange sound as of the hissing of a thousand serpents 
rang in the ears of those whose hearts were filled with 
terror. A strange light that had not earthly hues made 
the night as the brightness of day. Each soldier felt the 
unseen strokes of as many lashes as there were men. 
They howled in pain; for each stroke was as the burn 
from a red-hot iron. In vain they tried to escape ; their 
bodies were thrown back into the rooms until the air re- 
sounded with their cries of terror. Then a frigid wind 
picked them up one by one and cast them down the hill. 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


127 


where they lay like so many dead men till morning brake 
upon them. 

When their senses returned they looked not backwards, 
but limped into the place where their animals were staked, 
gathered up the basketfuls that had been prepared for 
them by these ghostly hands. These baskets, be it said, 
contained the broken bits that had once been their swords, 
including their military trappings. Sorely they mounted 
their steeds and rode sullenly away. 

“By my faith, I have not laid eyes upon the weazen- 
faced roundhead that lead us hither to our undoing. 
Hath any one seen the coward ?” 

“Captain, he lieth at the foot of yon damnable hill as 
stiff as the steel in my halbert. His neck hath a twist 
that maketh the head bob about like a cork on a fishing 
line.” 

“Forward! trot! march!” and the cavalcade rideth 
straight to London, and never halted till the column 
reached barrack, where they related the strange adventure 
which cometh straightway to the ears of the King, for 
which reason they were ordered to report to His Majesty 
forthwith. 

The troops were drawn up in line within the palace en- 
closure. The courtyard presented a strange spectacle. 
The rich costumes of the nobles of the realm mingled with 
the blouses of the middle classes ; all gazed in wonder at 
the soldiers whose patches and sore bruises disfigured 
them. His Majesty gazed and gazed and said naught. 
He was bewildered at the strange sight, and laughed a 
loud laugh that had a tinge of anger in it, as he broke 
forth with : 

“By Saint George and merry England this surpasseth 
mortal understanding. Tis not a pleasing prospect to 


128 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


see my brave troopers in such a plight. These be picked 
men from my squadrons. Tell me, brave soldiers, why 
thou art disarmed V 

The baskets were arranged in a row before the King, 
who laughed even louder than he laughed previously, for 
the glittering pieces of steel sparkled like the frost of a 
winter morning. 

“England may well be proud of such loyal men with 
iron nerves. Braver hearts never beat beneath a soldier’s 
jacket. ’Twas these that made such worthy cause against 
the powers of darkness that defy my royal will. Return 
to thy commands. Each stout trooper shall have his 
parchment for a commission.” 

Having delivered himself of this speech the King 
turned on his heel and ascended the marble stairway that 
led to the Queen’s apartments. There was a serious 
thought tugging at his heart. The troopers rode back to 
barrack and dispersed to their company quarters well 
pleased with the promise of preferment on the list of 
honor. 

“My Royal Consort,” the King fumed, “what do such 
things portend ? the downfall of our house ? My best and 
bravest men scattered like flimsy chaff before a gale of 
v/ind, yet I sent brave Sir Jasper to storm the hill alone. 
Strange to relate his sword was untouched, if he failed. 
The honors of war were extended to him, and the hundred 
were disarmed.” 

“Forgetest thou, my liege lord, that Sir Jasper hath 
the baleful letter on his breast. These, thy soldiers, were 
not so honored.” 

“A very doubtful honor, since the adventure sealed his 
lips. My trust in him wavereth not. I do sorelv repent 
me of the ill-advised rashness that sent him to the Tower, 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


129 


and thus banished from my presence his loyal devotion 
and deprived me of his sound reasoning that made his 
counsel of good effect. Since he keepeth such a close 
tongue within his mouth for his own reasons, I can trust 
him with a secret mission that requireth tact and bravery.” 


130 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


CHAPTER XII. 

CARL ENLISTS IN THE KING's SERVICE. 

The strain upon the nerves of Carl was too much for 
his youthful years. For three weeks the alchemist stood 
by the side of his son’s couch to give the mixtures that 
his skillful hand compounded ; the fires on his forge died 
down; his dreams of transmutation were unfulfilled, for 
Carl was sick unto death. When health crept back along 
Carl’s veins the old man returned to his crucibles and the 
boy returned to his rod and fishing line. 

The walls of Dantima oppressed him. For this reason 
he took the road to London just as he had taken it a 
double scores of times. The pool where the finest fish 
were caught invited repose with its shaded coolness and 
quietness. Shall I tell thee that this boy had no thought 
of himself ; the fish were for his little playmate. Again 
and again he threw back into the water those that came 
not up to his standard of excellence. 

With his knife he cleaned them nicely and bethought 
himself how acceptable the present would be to those on 
the cliff. He did not know that the cottage was empty, 
because when he last was with them they expected to 
hide in the ruined chapel on the hill until the darkness 
of the moon made escape possible. 

‘T have neglected Florette, and she knew not of my 
illness, else had she braved the ill-will of Dantima to get 
a note to me. It is best. The times are sadly out of 
joint. One neighbor watcheth another and speaketh ill 
behind his back ; another neighbor accuseth another of 
witchcraft. The roundheads gather in force; all eyes 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


are on Cromwell who hedgeth the throne with difficul- 
ties. Now these covenanters sing their Psalms in streets. 
I know not the turning of it all.” 

While he was thus soliloquizing he was busy with his 
fish. After the cleaning he wrapped the pieces in a clean 
linen cloth and made his way through the underbrush to 
the grotto, where he rested and awaited the coming of 
some one from the cliff. His strength was not equal to 
the effort. He thought this as he kept his range of vision 
on the steep incline. He whistled, thinking that Florette 
would hear the sound and come down to the spring. 

He waited and listened. No echoing voice came back 
to him. It was the hour of their tryst. The ray of sun- 
light moved along the arms of the cross, until it was re- 
flected from the pool, and she came not. 

“They are timid. The fear of venturing abroad keep- 
eth them close within doors. I must to them ere weak- 
ness overcometh me.” 

He left his basket at the foot of the hill and laboriously 
made his way up the pathway and stood panting for 
breath at the gate. A fear seized him. The neat house- 
wifery that was wont to add a charm to the welcome was 
conspicuously absent. He entered the house without so 
much as knocking. The desolation overpowered him. 
He gave a great outcry of pain, and would have fallen, 
but he steadied his body by holding on to the door frame. 
With firmer resolution he descended the steep hill and 
sought under the moss-covered rock for a letter. 

“This hath been here some days. The parchment is 
moist, and yet the spot is dry.” He unrolled the missive 
and read: 

“My Dear Carl : — Thou canst see by the teardrops on 
these pages that I thought of thee. These stains are the 


132 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


sad regrets of my life. They are all for thee, my child- 
hood companion. Thou canst ask for no more touching 
tribute, because they flowed from an aching heart. I 
will always think of thee with feelings of deepest affec- 
tion. The memory of thee will live in my thoughts so 
long as life shall last. 

“The King’s soldiers surrounded us ; we were obliged 
to fly for our lives. I cannot tell thee where a letter will 
reach us. We are adrift on the sea of uncertainty, and 
we know not where our abiding place may be. Should 
we quit our ship and land, I will send thee tidings that 
thou mayest communicate with us. When this missive 
is in thy hands I will be far from thee on the wide sea. A 
hundred tender good-byes from mother and myself to thee 
and thine. 

“Tell Father Leonard our gratitude is not measured 
by time or space. God will bless him for the good deeds 
done in the past. Should we never meet again, I will say 
to thee a long farewell. Florette.” 

The nervous temperament of Carl was prostrated. He 
read the writing six times. The studied elegance of the 
diction smote him like the blow of a two-edged sword, 
and thus killed every hope. Like unto a senseless lump of 
humanity he sank at the foot of the cross. He arose and 
dashed the cool spring water upon himself until he was 
chilled. Thus he put out the fires that hurt his brain, 
and staggered homewards by the nearest pathway. 

His white face startled the gatekeeper, who spake 
kindly, and said: “Carl, thou art ill, my son. Thus the 
cliff maiden hath repaid thee for thy kindness with a 
broken heart.” 

“Say thou not so ; the fault was mine, and the punish- 
ment was mine. Oft hath she told me as much; yet I 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


133 


hoped that time would make the change for my prefer- 
ment. I staked the game and lost.” 

“Carl, my liking extendeth to thee, else had I reported 
thee to the Council, when I knew right well whither thy 
footsteps led. Thou must laugh if thy heart be break- 
ing. Let not Dantima know of thy misfortune. Their 
jeers will be more torturing than the torments of the 
pillory.” 

“I thank thee, neighbor; thy words are words of ex- 
ceeding wisdom and I will bide thy reckoning thereof, 
and the more disappoint them.” He passed on to his low- 
browed doorway and entered. There he beheld one of 
his aunts from the London town, who straightway em- 
braced him and greeted him with : “Thou hast grown to 
fair proportions, and yet I would have thee a full finger’s 
length taller; otherwise thou hast a strong, well-knit 
frame.” 

“In good sooth thou art welcome, grandam ; hath 
mother told thee all, and thou knowest that they of the 
cliff are gone.” 

“Right well is Dantima rid of them. Ever since they 
came without arriving, the old town hath had her meas- 
ure full or misfortune.” 

“Gently, grandam, speak not unkindly of the absent. 
Since the time of my coming into the world the same 
mysterious agency has haunted the Devil’s Elbow. Mark 
ye, what it behooveth me to say ; had Dantima kept within 
her own bounds and industriously occupied her hands 
to thrift and not molested the good spirits that ever 
owned the hill, ne’er had misfortune visited her. Did 
not the ruling governor make a sale to these inhabitants 
of the cliff ? Hath not the deed been duly recorded, and 


134 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


the money paid into the treasury? Then, how can Dan- 
tima make war on defenseless women?” 

“Thou sayest the truth, Carl. Even before my great 
grandfather’s day these haunted yon rising that faceth 
the sea, that seamen may be safely guided into the bay 
and none the worse for the storms.” 

“Then how sayeth thou that Dantima rejoiceth, when 
the evil still remains. I will place the sleepy old town in 
the pillory, and blush for the injustice that condemneth 
the innocent, whose hearts art as pure as the prayers of a 
saint. In truth Dantima knew little of those that dwelt 
on yon heights, and those that sojourned thereon knew 
little of the mysterious power that guarded them, and 
cared less for any danger.” 

The grandam drew nearer to Carl and whispered: 
“Thou sayest excellently well. The fault lieth with these 
roundheads that have not enough of religion, and too 
little of mercy ; too many canting Psalms, and not enough 
of loyalty to good King Charles.” 

“Thou art in evidence in this matter. These be perilous 
times, grandam ; would that I were in London. The 
burgh is distasteful to me since those of the cliff de- 
parted.” 

“Carl, wouldst like to be a soldier? My brother com- 
mands a squadron of the King’s troopers. Say thou the 
word and thou mayest be a captain, for the reason of thy 
learning. His Majesty hath sore need of such, and would 
welcome thee kindly. What sayest thou, my nephew?” 

“I say aye with a willing heart. Hast thou thought of 
mother and my father. He is as helpless as a child un- 
weaned from its mother. Who would care for them ? and 
I in the King’s service.” 

“The pay that will come to thee is goodly enough for 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


135 


thee and thine. Thou canst not do better here, where 
idleness rules the hour. Bethink thee of the advancement 
in His Majesty’s favor. Thy uncle was a subaltern, and 
in the year he rideth at the head of the column.” 

“Let it be as thou sayest. It is beyond the limit of my 
endurance to stand the senseless jests of these rude cove- 
nanters, that have little mercy in their souls and less judg- 
ment in their reasoning.” 

“Thou shalt be a grand officer, and the wages will make 
thee rich.” 

“Thou wilt write at once. Thou hast my heart’s fullest 
gratitude. I am impatient to be away; something, any- 
thing to make me forget the present.” 

“In a fortnight or mayhap less, I will acquaint thee of 
the contents. Now go, thy mother awaiteth thee with 
some anxiety.” 

“What hath happened to thee, Carl, thy face is drawn 
and suffering, and I fear me thou wilt have a relapse. 
Hast thou bad news from the cliff ?” 

Without replying, he handed the missive that Florette 
placed under the rock into his mother’s hands, and said; 
“Read thou it; all these dear people were sorely pressed 
and escaped the vigilance of the cruisers and the troopers 
with a skill that dumbfoundeth me. They have been gone 
these many days.” 

“Be thou not cast down, my son. Thy love is all mine. 
A division that parteth thee from me would break my 
heart. 

“When I betake me from this world then thou canst 
find another mother that I hope will be as loyal to thee 
as I have been. Until then, tush ! tush ! thou art not yet 
out of thy teens, and speakest thou of marrying ?” 

“I have enlisted in the King’s service. Thou and my 


136 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


father shall move to London, where the comforts of life 
shall be thine. My pay as an officer will be ample for 
this purpose.” 

'‘Be it as thou wisheth, my son; far be it from me to 
counsel to thy disadvantage. If thy heart be set upon it, 
why have it thy way. When will thy commission come 
to thee? Thy father’s crucibles and his parchments are 
to follow, else thou gettest not his consent.” 

“Wherefore should I say him nay ? if it is the happiness 
of his living, I have naught but his welfare to consider. 
Keep thou a close tongue within thy head until all is 
ready. Sufficient conveyance will arrive from London 
for the removal of thy effects.” 

“Who doeth all this for thee? ’Tis thy aunt, I will be 
sworn. These many days hath she the desire to have us 
in London. ’Tis safer in the metropolis, where the mal- 
contents can ne’er burn or put to the sword those who 
disagree in the churching.” 

Dantima was startled when the vehicles came to carry 
away the family. The loss of a single person was a mis- 
fortune because the ratio of increase or decrease would 
thus be disarranged. The recounting of noses and polls 
would become a necessity. The balances of Father Time 
would be readjusted to Dantima’s ordering. 

Little heeded the family these mutterings. They de- 
parted as quietly as they came. Carl’s commission as an 
officer in His Majesty’s royal horse came the day before 
he quitted Dantima. The gaudy uniform set off his clean- 
cut figure to a nicety ; the new bright sword that swung 
from the belt, together with the excitement of his leave- 
taking softened the bitter pangs of disappointed love. 
The stirring life of a soldier would make a man of a 
youth. Thus the alchemist and his family said good-bye 
to Dantima. 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


137 


CHAPTER XIIL 

THE king's messenger SAILS FOR ROME ON A SECRET 
MISSION. 

Sir Jasper was yet in the Tower, brooding over the in- 
gratitude of King Charles, in whose service the misfor- 
tune of his life came to him. With naught but gloomy 
walls to look upon, he grew more despondent each day, 
and waited for the pleasure of His Majesty. 

The day following the consultation between His Ma- 
jesty and the Queen, an order for the release of the King’s 
messenger was placed in the hands of Sir Aubrey, who 
for a second time became a mediator between royalty and 
the cavalier monk. With a right good grace he hastened 
to the Tower, where the dejection of his friend mellowed 
the joy that hastened his footsteps. 

‘'Cheer thee, thou football of fortune. I bear thee 
peaceful messages from King Charles, and I mistake not 
he sendeth thee on a mission forthwith. By God’s mercy, 
I would not say nay to thy going. The King grows more 
peevish each day, and Parliament hath much to answer 
for in the making thereof. Let us tp my rooms in the 
palace that thou mayest be rid of the musty smell that 
hangeth on thy skirts with a dampness that recalleth Dan- 
tima." 

“Aubrey, had the King thy stability, England were not 
a hotbed for the reformations that are firebrands for the 
burning. The lines are sharply drawn, and I mistake not 
strife will whet the sword of battle to England’s undoing. 
Here should I be to brunt the tide of battle, not in the 
Far East. That promise of advancement hath curbed the 


138 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


wishes of my high desire, such I will not say. To the 
King at once.” 

“Not until thou promiseth me to depart, for thy head 
sits lightly on thy strong shoulders, and thou knowest the 
proverb that, ‘A live dog were better than a dead lion.’ ” 

“Be it so; thy friendship hath stood the test of adver- 
sity with a wondrous power of endurance. I have tried 
thy patience sorely.” 

When they had come to the King in especial audience, 
and stood before the ruler of half of the world, both cour- 
tiers made their obesiance and waited for royalty to speak. 
“I have pardoned thee ; the intercession of my royal con- 
sort hath tempered my hot displeasure. Since thy tongue 
keepeth so well thine own secrets, by Saint George and the 
fiery dragon, I know that thou wilt keep the secrets that 
I will entrust to thee, even at the peril of thy life.” 

With a wave of his hand he cleared the chamber of all 
save the cavalier monk, and continued : “These state pa- 
pers that I entrust thee with are to be delivered into the 
hands of the head of the Church at Rome. Thou wilt 
meet spies at every turn of thy elbow. Heed them not, 
and give up thy life ere the documents go from thee.” 

“And thou doest this well thy reward shall be commen- 
surate with the danger. Peace be between me and thee ; 
farewell.” 

Sir Aubrey waited at the foot of the grand stairway 
that leadeth up to the main avenue of the palace grounds. 
When the King’s messenger came to the lower terrace 
he halted and waited for his comrade to join him. Arm 
in arm they moved off in the direction of Parliament 
street and dined together at the sign of the lion. With 
a silent movement of the index finger to the lips, the 
bearer of despatches cautioned his companion in arms 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


139 


to be discreet. When the meal was eaten these friends 
went straightway to their chambers; yet asked not Sir 
Aubrey a question about the trust, whose delivery was 
beset with so many dangers. 

“Aubrey, hath thou naught to say ere I go hence? 
Bethink thee, that I may ne’er return, and should I fall, 
’twill be in the King’s service. Forget thou not this to 
His Majesty’s reminding.” 

“Right royally shall the promise be kept. ’Twere well 
that thou shouldst be shorn of thy locks, else trouble 
cometh to thee where thou least expecteth it. Keep thy 
cowl close about thee. With a stout heart do thou His 
Majesty’s bidding, and have for thy motto, ‘God and 
the Right.’ ” 

The King’s messenger informed himself of the hour 
when the staunch ship would sail. He wished not to go 
on board betimes, for the list of those who were to be his 
companions was large. Just as the great anchor was on 
the hoist he reached the deck and sought his cabin berth. 
The roughness of the sea was an excuse for not appear- 
ing at meals. This ordeal he dreaded, because the curi- 
ous stares of his fellow passengers were reminders of 
danger. 

He therefore cast his eyes, or rather his glances, down- 
wards upon the pages of his prayer book. His straight, 
long sword was deposited in his room. The long curls 
(that were not worn outside of merry England) were 
tied back and hidden by the hood of his cowl. The fatal 
letter was securely confined by hookings of steel. A 
short, stout dagger was concealed beneath the peaceful 
gown of his order. Thus secured from detection, he 
paced the long deck, apparently lost in deep meditation, 


140 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


yet his thoughts were far from the Church and her 
teachings. 

The bracing air of the ocean expanded his soul until 
the universe was his. The seeming endlessness of the 
horizon belittled the intrigues of royalty that had no more 
foundation than mad ambition. Rome, the Eternal City, 
awakened new hopes and desires; not for the magnifi- 
cence of its ancient glory, not for its historical ruins, but 
because Florette was there, and the hopes of his un- 
churching filled life with a thousand charms. Then the 
great arid desert, with its thirst and burning sands, 
tempered the dreams unto soberness. 

Turn which way he would, he confronted the stares 
of those who sought the freedom of the deck. In won- 
derment, he asked himself the wherefore. He did not 
realize that the handsome face that was perfect in the 
moulding was in ill keeping with his saintly garb. The 
very air of sanctity that he assumed made him a double 
favorite with the fairer sex, who wondered, and won- 
dered again at his reticence that evolved a greater share 
of sympathy in the feminine heart. 

In vain he drew the friendly hood further over his 
face and seated himself at the far end of the bark, where 
he watched the wake of the ship as she plowed through 
the sea with every inch of canvas spread to the wind ; 
yet was he observant of those around him. The state 
papers that he kept on his person made him doubly vigi- 
lant. A married couple particularly attracted his atten- 
tion. The man had the appearance of an overfed 
Englishman, yet his corpulency did not seem natural ; in 
other words, he played his part in a clumsy manner. 
The lady that was with this man, who was her hus- 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


band, was so affable to everyone, that she was a general 
favorite with passengers and crew. 

With all of her winsomeness, the young father was 
unapproachable. If she was in the cabin, he was on deck. 
Thus they played the game of cross-purposes for almost 
a week. As usual, he was gazing over the ship’s side, 
looking down into the sea, when a voice at his side 
aroused his attention. The voice said : 

“Father, thou art not going to encase thyself in a pano- 
ply of silence any longer. I will not permit thee to bury 
thyself another day. Life is too full of smiles and jests 
that thou shouldst go moping around when all around 
thee make companionship a boon well worth the culti- 
vating.” 

“Bethink thee, my daughter, smiles are for the 
worldly ; they who live in the present and think not of 
the future. A few brief years on one side, and endless 
eternity on the other side, such is life. By prayer and 
meditation we bury the present in the glory of a heavenly 
existence. Smiles are not the coins that buy eternity.” 

“Thankful art thou in thy heart that thou canst say as 
much. Thy face belongeth not to thy calling. I will 
well be sworn that it hath oft gotten thee into troubles of 
the heart that have sorrows, and ’tis this, and not thy 
over-zealous piety, that maketh thee so humble in thy 
demeanor.” 

“D’ost thou know the happenings that befell me, thou 
born of the world ? How canst thou speak of that which 
belongeth to God’s province? Go thy way, my daugh- 
ter.” 

“Father, thou canst not deceive the quick eye of a 
woman ; thy garb is as ill-fitting to thy cavalier heart as 
would be a priestly robe to thy King Charles.” While 


142 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


she said this she scrutinized closely his face. What she 
expected to see came not as a reality. The monk’s fea- 
tures were as immovable as marble. He noted the shade 
of disappointment that she tried to conceal by a light 
laugh. 

“Seek ye, my daughter, the Kingdom of Heaven and 
all things earthly will seem dross to thee; for the same 
reason will my reward be the greater when this mortality 
shall put on immortality. The man that is good because 
nature made him so is a yea-nay clod of existence, where 
temptation finds no ready soil to thrive upon.” 

“Then, father, how shalt thy reward be measured to 
thee ?” 

“God is the judge of all things, my daughter.” 

“I am a judge of human nature, my father ; thy heart is 
a tempest of cross purposes ; it is filled with longings that 
will not down at thy bidding. Thou hast not the calm 
and contented look on thy face that betokeneth the peace 
of a soul shining through the vistas of a holy beyond. 
Waves of hope and disappointment sweep like pictures 
over thy expressive face; e’en a child can see as much.” 

“Go, my daughter, leave me in peace ; my meditations 
are the companions of my soul that profiteth much by the 
silence.” 

“Thou canst not deny me the churchly rite of confes- 
sion ; as a daughter of the Church, I demand it.” 

“Be it as thou sayest ; come thou to the extreme after- 
deck of the vessel.” She knelt at his feet and poured out 
her ofifendings to his patient ear. When the lady had fin- 
ished, she waited for the absolution that never was ut- 
tered, because they were sailing up the Tiber, and the 
dome of St. Peter’s loomed skyward in the distance. 

“Why giveth thou me no absolution, my father?” 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


143 


“Thou hast not confessed what is in thy heart. Tell 
me, my daughter, why comest thou to Rome and why 
leavest thou England?” 

With a laugh that was contagious, she laid her plump, 
fair hand upon his arm and whispered : “Ne’er knew I 
good priests to carry swords and daggers ; did I not see 
thy curls blown by the wind out from thy cowl ?” 

“Where dost thou stop in Rome, I may be of service to 
thee when thou least expecteth it. Be my guest, the 
Eternal City is worth an age of patient research.” 

“I stay not in Rome ; my orders are for Arabia. I will 
break bread with some of the brothers that dwell in 
monasteries and depart hence on my mission.” 

A startled expression mounted to her face, which did 
not escape his keen eyes. This confirmed his suspicions 
and redoubled his vigilance. She cut short his suspicions 
by musing: “Arabia with its desolation is a poor ex- 
change for the pleasures thou wilt enjoy in the home of 
the Imperial Csesars. I have taken a deep interest in thee, 
thou cavalier monk.” As she turned away, she coquet- 
tishly shook her finger at him and lisped : “Fear not, thou 
war monk with thy handsome face, we shall meet again.” 

When the vessel moored to the landing place, the 
King’s messenger stood to one side of the gangway. He 
watched the passengers pass down the movable steps and 
disperse. He never lost sight of the beautiful woman 
whose carriage was in waiting. Some impatience an- 
gered her, for she stamped her foot on the pavement and 
looked around ; a serving man approached, and in a defer- 
ential manner lifted the well-worn hat. She said some- 
thing to him ; as she was out of range, he could not hear 
what she said. 

She beckoned with her finger for the priest to draw 


144 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


nearer. When he came up to the vehicle her face 
softened somewhat as she added : “Father, we will take 
no excuse, enter; the way is long to the heart of Rome. 
Dangers beset thee ; thou canst do thus much for thy 
soul’s comfort.” 

“Do not disturb the meditations of a pilgrim that is 
blessed with the legs that God gave to him ; I am content 
to put the world behind me.” 

“And put thyself behind the world, whose great shadow 
will bury thee.” 

“That Heaven’s gate may the wider be.” 

A light laugh was wafted back to the monk as she 
drove away. 

When the lumbering coach was out of sight he kept his 
glances upon the servant that caused the lady so much 
annoyance by his tardiness. He was a lusty fellow with 
brawn and muscle, and wiry as a leopard. His low, re- 
treating forehead and deep-set eyes showed the cunning 
of an assassin. A great desire possessed the monk to run 
the man through with his sword. 

The ruffian kept well to the rear, and was content to 
follow at a safe distance, where the houses were few and 
scattering. When the main part of the city was just in 
front, his shadow glided rather than walked at closer 
distances. To purposely mislead him, the pursued monk 
turned many corners ; still this man dogged his steps. A 
happy thought came to him. He speedily darted behind 
the nearest corner where the shadows were deepest and 
awaited the arrival of the unsuspecting victim. The 
priest shot out his right arm straight from the shoulder 
and landed a blow on the assassin’s face that knocked him 
senseless. With hasty steps he doubled back on his tracks 
and darted into a costumer’s shop, where he purchased 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


145 


a heavy cowl of brown serge and threw it over his habit. 
A procession of monks was passing at the time; without 
more ado he fell into the line and marched away. 

Without further trouble he came to the caravansary 
for indigent monks. They asked him no questions, and 
he asked them for information that would guide his un- 
certain footsteps. The diplomatic atmosphere of the 
Eternal City was more dangerous than the miasma of the 
Pontine Marshes. Every friend was more to be dreaded 
than the stiletto of a bravo. The grave responsibility was 
on his soul, yet was his heart loyal to his king, whose 
tottering throne was propped by broken promises. 

Fortune befriended him. The next morning these 
brothers, who were like himself pilgrims, were going to 
St. Peter’s. An especial mass was provided for them. 
Again they formed in line. Quickly he threw the best 
friend that he had over his own robes of gray and 
marched to the chapel, where the kneeling monks formed 
a semi-circle at the foot of the altar. 

The King’s messenger did not arise with the brothers, 
but remained on his knees, while these pilgrims filed 
meekly out to the court. His quick eye noted the dog 
that was the counterpart of Nattie’s dog; some of the 
family were near. Looking carefully around, he discov- 
ered a kneeling figure that had the petit proportions of 
the maiden he so fiercely loved. He drew nearer and 
knelt by her side. “Stay, lady, do not go, I would speak 
with thee; that I may do so with safety, appear thou at 
thy devotions; other eyes are on us.” 

“God, thou hast answered my prayer; my lover is with 
me again. I can ask no more of Thee.” She prayed thus 
softly, while he answered in a like manner: 


146 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


'Thou sayest truly ; I am beset with dangers, help thou 
me.” 

Flore tte in a devotional manner continued : " Tis well 
that I met thee, my lover; the news of thy arrival is 
bruited through Rome. A hundred stilettos are on thy 
track, ready to murder thee; for this I came to this little 
chapel, and Dareall followed at my bidding, that thou 
wouldst know thy little Florette that would die for thee.” 

“Speak not of dying, rather sayest thou that thou wilt 
live for me ; give me of the advice that will aid me. I 
would see His Holiness, yet how this may be I know not. 
What hast thou to offer that my mission may be ended ?” 

“Seek thou the English Ambassador, who, knowing thy 
rank among the nobility, he will do thee the offices thou 
desireth.” 

“Nay, nay, thou simple-hearted child; go thus, to share 
the fate of the indiscreet, whose sorry speech would make 
my body a target for a thousand stabs. I am made of 
better stuff. Trust me for prudence, that human virtue 
that maketh safety a pathway to success. Hast thou 
naught else to offer ?” 

“Then thou seest him not, I know not how this matter 
may be arranged. If thou art a pilgrim, and with thy 
brotherhood make supplication, perchance the audience 
may be accorded thee.” 

“Didst thou not tell me in Dantima that His Holiness 
led a secluded life, that a garden filled with nature’s love- 
liness invited him to its seclusion, where he meditates 
upon holy themes at certain hours of the day?” 

“In good sooth did I tell thee as much; thou remem- 
bered well. The papal guard would say thee nay at the 
point of the halbert; the great bronze enclosure guards 
the person of the Pope. Perchance, and thou goest at the 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


hour of four, thou wilt cast thy eyes upon him as he 
walketh to and fro, but this will not gain thee thy de- 
sires.” 

“If I venture not, then am I a goslin ; show me but the 
way thither, and I address myself not to the head of the 
Church, then thou mayest write me down a fool. Tell 
me of thyself; where dwellest thou that I may find thee 
when the duty’s performed.” 

“Seest thou not the guardians of this place do feast 
their eyes upon us? Turn not thy head so much as a hair’s 
breadth, but double thy devotions, and I will depart ere 
thou goest, and will be slow of gait outside these holy 
walls.” 

When the maiden arose, he raised his voice and re- 
doubled his devotions. The monotonous tones of his 
voice quieted the suspicion. The watching acolytes dis- 
appeared. 

When he crossed himself and passed out of the great 
doors, he hesitated and looked to the right and left for 
the maiden. Again the dog guided his footsteps. As he 
turned the corner, he noted the direction Florette was 
taking, which brought him to the bronzed gate with the 
papal crest over the entrance. This entrance was closed. 
The fence extended to the corner, where it made a sharp 
turn. When he had fixed the position of each sentry, he 
went by the nearest way to the caravansary, where he 
was lost in his devotion to Florette and the King. 

Thus he sat munching his brown bread and water till 
the shadows on the wall admonished him that the time 
for action had arrived. The distance was not great. He 
placed his hand upon the package that had perhaps the 
destiny of a nation in the safe delivering, and started 
forth. Flis going was unnoticed, as the brothers came 


148 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


and went at will. His vision was sharpened by danger, 
his cavalier blood was at fever heat. He loosened the 
double-edged dagger from its sheath and came up to the 
bronze enclosure farthest removed from the gateway. A 
solitary guard paced to and fro. 

The King's messenger drew near to the tall railing and 
peered within. The challenge of the guard made him 
draw back not one whit. Then the rude voice exclaimed : 
“Stand thou back from the bronze moulding, or I run 
thee through with this spear that never yet hath been 
stained with human blood.” 

“Nay, good soldier, I blame thee not for the ordering 
of thy duty. Restrain thy imperious temper, the evil one 
will find consolation in thy fiery moods. I did but come 
to gaze upon His Holiness. I came from afar, and thou 
wouldst deny me this poor boon, that cost thee nothing ?” 

“Move thou on, my orders must be obeyed.” 

“A pilgrim from Arabia am I ; knowest thou, good 
soldier, the distance thence ? A thousand good leagues of 
sea and land it is. One sight of His Holiness will repay 
the tediousness of the journey.” 

“It may not be as thou wisheth ; move on !” 

“Ten golden lires will I give thee, and thou gettest the 
Pope's blessing for me. Stand with thy halbert at my 
heart, and if I betray thee in this matter, then send the 
weapon home, and thou art quits of thy duty.” 

“There he walketh, and alone ; give me first the golden 
lires, and it shall be as thou desireth ; but be thou cautious 
till yon acolyte cometh within hail.” 

“Edmondo, mark thee, have thou speech with His 
Holiness, be pleased to say to him that a pilgrim that hath 
traveled from far Arabia humbly prays for his blessing 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


149 


ere he returneth to his apartments, then will I give thee 
a bright golden lire.” 

The sight of the coin hastened the youth’s steps. He 
stood before His Holiness, and on bended knee delivered 
the message which was given to him by the guard. The 
holy man sayeth naught, yet did he follow the acolyte to 
the spot where stood the devout pilgrim. A grave smile 
played over the Pope’s features as he benevolently asked : 
“Thou pilgrim, it is little that thou asketh of me; be it 
according to thy desire. Kneel where thou art and re- 
ceive the blessing.” 

“Holy Father, surely Heaven hath directed thy foot- 
steps to bless me, as thou wilt see when it is thy pleasure 
to read these despatches with the great seal of England 
upon them. They will vouch for my good faith and repay 
me an hundred fold for the hidden dangers that encom- 
passed me on every side. Read them and I will await thy 
gracious pleasure.” 

A look of surprise was perceptible on the features of 
His Holiness. When he had mastered the contents, 
straightway he came to the group and said: “Thou 
cometh in questionable habiliments. Sir Jasper. This is a 
poor reception to one who cometh from so great a king- 
dom. Go thou to the entrance and I will be with thee; 
there is much I would learn from thee.” 

The Pope and the King’s messenger were secluded in 
one part of the garden. That matters of import were 
being discussed was evident, for with the telling a frown 
mantled the face of His Holiness, as the messenger con- 
tinued : 

“Standeth the statecraft of England so? These papers 
forecast a gloomy future. The roundheads make bold 
cause against the Crown. A constant warfare between 


150 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


King Charles and his parliament unsettleth the times. I 
would that His Gracious Majesty had more decision in 
his rulings.” 

'‘His friendship is as much to be feared as his anger. 
He that trieth to carry the cares of state on both shoulders 
maketh of himself a slave to those who question his mo- 
tives, that they may pull him down.” 

“Young sir, thou speaketh boldly in this matter; wert 
thou in England it had cost thee thy head. Thou art safe 
here; speak freely, that I may know how to aid this un- 
happy King.” 

“Your Holiness, the ball that hath been buffeted from 
hand to battledore must needs receive some scars. The 
King’s humors are as fickle as the smile of fortune; he 
loseth the friends he should retain and gaineth the friends 
that he should lose. Think not I am disloyal to my King, 
the bluntness of my speech is for the furtherance of his 
cause.” 

“Come to the Vatican; these papers are overdue, I 
have been expecting them these many days. My secre- 
tary will make return despatches. Well do I know that 
I can trust thee to the fulfilling of this mission. I have 
but to look upon thy resolute face and my question is 
already answered.” 

“Nay! Your Holiness, I go not back to England. Here 
is a letter from the Queen which will ask of thee that 
which my heart desireth most.” 

An amused smile, that grew broader as he advanced 
in the reading thereof, played over the kindly expres- 
sioned features. “So, so !” he said ; “it standeth thus with 
thee and thy affairs? The Queen hath pleaded thy case 
so well that it behooves me to grant thy request ; besides, 
thy sword is more to King Charles at this time than 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 151 

would be a cowl and hood; he sorely needeth stout 
troopers.” 

The document that absolved him from his churchly 
vows was placed in the hands of the King’s messenger. 
What a load was lifted from his heart. In his joy at this 
act of kindness he embraced the knees of His Holiness 
and said : “Thou king-maker, how my heart warms to 
thee; do as much for my unhappy land and all England 
will bless thee.” 

“Thou art a manly subject of the King ; thou hast my 
blessing for a duty well performed. Peace go with thee ; 
and now, farewell.” 

The acolyte accompanied the King’s messenger to the 
entrance. With an additional ten lire he gained the respect 
of the papal guard and passed out to search for the hab- 
itation of Florette. “Thus have I fulfilled one great mis- 
sion ; how will the other end, ah ! who can know ?” 

He approached the great forbidden pile of masonry 
with some caution. At a distance it arose as some grand 
old ruin, but when he drew nearer, the regularity of its 
walls became more harmonious. The shadow of the large 
court made the place inviting, because the heat was 
enervating. Dareall came forward to meet him. A 
friendly sniff and a wag of his tail were the dumb greet- 
ings he received. Farther on he met the dark-eyed 
maiden of the cliff, whose hands were extended in a wel- 
come that made his heart a castle of pleasure. 

“Glad am I to see thee, for thy face bespeaketh suc- 
cess. Thou hast delivered the King’s despatches. Thou 
shalt tell me of the interview while we sit in the shadow 
of this broken column that once graced one of the temples 
of proud Rome. I am all impatient to hear the success 
of thy freedom from thy vows to the Church.” 


152 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


A relieved feeling came to him; the secrets of state 
were sacred. Although this maiden was as the precious- 
ness of gold to him, yet could he not impart to her the 
matters that passed between His Holiness and himself. 
‘‘The better to answer thee, I will first show thee the in- 
strument that maketh me free from the foolish vows of 
Dantima.” 

“Say thou not that the vows were foolish, since the 
cowl and hood hid neath its folds the burning letter, my 
lover. Thy garb made our meetings doubly precious, 
since the cruel edicts of that burgh harmed thee not be- 
cause of thy holy calling.” 

She sat closer as he drew her hand in his. Shyly her 
head lay on his shoulder. His mental gaze was far from 
the Eternal City. He could feel tiie heated sands of the 
desert blister his feet, just as this parting blistered his 
heart. Love plead with him to stay, but the invisible hand 
of destiny said move on ; the burning letter on his breast 
made destiny his master. 

“Knowest thou, my idol, that we must part for a sea- 
son. I would be rid of this wager that hath robbed me 
of so much happiness. Ah! but it goeth hard with me 
to give thee up.” 

“We can return to Dantima. There is but one world 
for wedded bliss, and this world will be all our own.” 

“My future hopes do play hide and seek, twixt duty and 
thee ; thy presence maketh me a coward, when I should be 
brave. Stern resolution, come thou now and be my men- 
tor ere I surrender to the beckoning of love.” 

“Dost thou weigh it against my love, that would keep 
thee at my side forever, then thou dost not love me ?” 

“Bethink thee, Florette, should I remain in Rome, the 
King will recall me ere this letter be removed ; should we 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


153 


return to Dantima, then His Majesty will straightway 
send a summons that I dare not disobey. Know thou that 
I was a good fortnight imprisoned in the Tower? But 
for the friendship of the Queen, my head would have 
been the price of silence.” 

“Thou art right in the reasoning of our cause; thy 
safety lieth in travel. Here upon the tombs of fallen 
greatness we will renew the vows of old Dantima, and 
pray that thy mission may come to a happy and speedy 
termination.” 

“Thus I seal it with the truest kiss that ever plighted 
lover’s troth.” 

“On the forfeit of thy life, ne’er mention the part I 
played in aiding thee to deliver the despatches that thou 
broughtest from England. My father is an enemy of the 
King, my mother knowest not my love for thee ; be silent 
and trust me, and all cometh well.” 

One long and close embrace, and the King’s messen- 
ger hastened from Florette, who sat as one deserted. She 
laid her hot forehead on the base of the Corinthian col- 
umn and wept till her eyes were dry. Dareall stood by 
her side and with almost human intelligence he licked her 
cold hand. This act of love recalled the hour, and Flor- 
ette returned to take up the thread of life as it came from 
the weavers of time. 

Sir Jasper hurried to the caravansary that he might 
shorten the year of absence, and prepare to embark on the 
Mediterranean Sea. Rapidly he wended his way through 
the dark and dirty streets of the Eternal City, unheeding 
the stealthy steps that kept in unison with his own. A bag 
was thrown over his head ; a sharp blow from some blunt 
weapon rendered him senseless. Half stunned and suf- 
focating, he was hurried along for some distance. 


154 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


dragged into a house, rolled in a carpet and left to re- 
cover his senses. 

The sack was removed, his hands were freed from the 
cords that bound them, he was permitted to rise. The 
apartment was luxuriously furnished. In wonderment he 
reclined upon one of the couches, while he rubbed his 
swollen limbs where the bonds had cut into the flesh. 
While he was thus occupied, a light step hastened along 
the hall, the door opened, the fascinating woman whose 
wiles were the seals of diplomacy stood before him. 

“Thou art surprised, my cavalier monk, that thou art 
my guest. Since my invitation that I first extended to 
thee was so lightly appreciated, why nolens-volens, per 
force, thou visiteth me, as thou seest. Thou art not in a 
dungeon, but in ne of the palaces of the Caesars. It was 
in a barbarous manner that thou gavest me the slip. Such 
a blow as thou gavest unto my servant! Truly, thou 
hittest hard for a follower of the meek and lowly Christ. 
Our acquaintance was too agreeable to be so rudely dis- 
continued. Possess thy soul in patience until I will it 
that thou depart.” 

The King’s messenger was amazed at the woman’s 
manner of speech. Doubt made him suspicious. 
“Madam,” he said, “thou hast made some grave mistake. 
What thou takest me for, I know not ; enlighten thou my 
dull understanding.” 

“We have no designs upon thee as an individual. 
When thou comest as a bearer of despatches from King 
Charles, then it behooveth us to learn the contents of the 
matters that have a far-reaching influence upon the fu- 
ture of thy merry England.” 

“As the King’s messenger then will I depart. Thy 
^vits have deserted thee, and go begging for something 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


155 


better to do. Thou didst not observe that His Grace im- 
prisoned me in the Tower; through the influence of the 
Queen was my life spared.” 

“Thou art Sir Jasper, and I mistake not. Oft have I 
seen thee at court, thou favorite of King Charles ; but as 
thou sayest, it were an ill sign of courtly favor to spend 
thy hours in counting the stones in a prison wall. 

“Then why earnest thou to Rome, masquerading in the 
gown of a monk? Tell me the truth, thy answers will be 
thy liberty, or they will consign thee to a dungeon ; make 
thy choice as suiteth thee best.” 

“Knowest thou, strange woman, that I took holy orders 
in Dantima, and am bound to the Church of Rome. It 
was a foolish wager that cost me all the sorrows of a 
gentle heart. For this I came to the Eternal City. I saw 
His Holiness, the Pope; he was pleased to grant me a 
full dispensation.” 

“Then thou art a monk no longer, and life hath its 
alluring charms; then why weareth thou the cowl and 
hood that hide thy fair proportions? All the solemn 
prayers that thou hast said then go for naught, and un- 
certainty hath possession of my better judgment.” 

“Turn thou the light to a glimmer by the shading there- 
of, then "-hou wilt believe that the Church’s good offices 
were welcomed with goodly grace. As for thy threats of 
imprisonment, I will prove to thee thy threats are but the 
vaporings of a boast.” 

The monk pulled back the partings of his cowl, then 
the letter of living fire lighted the apartment with its un- 
holy lustre. It became bright and brighter, until its 
presence dazzled the wonder-stricken woman, who stared 
at the strange marking that fascinated her with all the 
potency of a serpent’s charm. 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


156 

“Hide it from me/’ she moaned; “its glare is eating 
into my brain. Oh! this is something terrible. Thou 
strange man, what hast thou been doing to the evil spirits 
that they marked thee thus ?” 

“For a foolish wager I remained the night in the cot- 
tage on the Devil’s Elbow. Roughly they did fling me 
about as a feather borne on the wings of a storm, and for 
a remembrance they did mark me thus.” 

“Thou knowest Florette, then? It was there that she 
lived until King Charles’ troopers drove them from 
thence. She ne’er told me of thy adventure, or I had 
treated thee with more consideration.” 

“Lock securely thy door, and I will prove to thee how 
little locks and bars restrain me from the liberty^ that is 
my divine inheritance.” He moved toward the portal; 
noiselessly it swung backwards on its hinges. Some un- 
seen hands shot the bolts back into their sockets. “Tell 
me, madam,” he said, “what power on earth could pre- 
vent me from delivering the despatches?” 

“I have wronged thee. Sir Jasper. I would know more 
of this uncanny adventure. Not now, but later.” 

“Thou knowest now why my heart is such a tempest- 
tossed sea, and my face is an open book for school girls 
to read.” 

Silence brooded between them. She gazed with pas- 
sionate devotion upon the handsome face that reminded 
her of the picture of Christ. His hood was thrown back 
with a careless grace that permitted the soft brown curls 
to fall in profusion upon his shoulders. This softened 
the outlines of his symmetrical features. The longer she 
gazed the more her woman’s heart went out to him in his 
strange life. The cavalier she would have assassinated 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


157 


became the idol of her heart. She rang a silver bell and 
waited. 

“Pelegrino, show this gentleman to the blue chamber.” 

‘T must be gone, for each day is a delay unto my recom- 
pense. But for this adventure I would be sailing on the 
sea where drains the Tiber.” 

She led him to a window and exclaimed : “Behold, 
thou of the obdurate heart, the blackness of the night is 
upon thee. Thy life were worth a rushlight, and 
thou venturest abroad. Be my guest until the morrow, 
and thy heart will be glad that thou didst tarry with me. 
Thou knowest me not, and perchance thou wilt never 
know me; thou art as safe within these walls as thou 
couldst be in the King’s chambers ; it is yet four hours 
until the dawning.” 

The downy sense of ease made tired sleep a blessing; 
at least this strange woman thought so, as she touched a 
hidden spring and crept into his room. His breathing 
was deep and regular. For a moment she watched him 
from the secrecy of the heavy purple curtains. With a 
calm assurance, this incarnate embodiment of beauty 
glided to the couch whereon lay his doublet and hose, the 
swift fingers abstracted the papers that were worth a life 
to him, and retired. Nothing aroused any further sus- 
picion ; her mind was satisfied. 

How long he slept he knew not; the cobwebs of slum- 
ber hung heavily on his eyes, because there was not a ray 
of light in the darkened chamber. Thus he lay until a 
valet knocked loudly at the door, the tapers looked like 
stars on a dark sky, so feeble were their rays. When he 
was refreshed by a bath, he quitted the room, descended a 
flight of steps and was ushered into the presence of this 
feminine mystery. 


158 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


“ Tis thus, thou cavalier monk, that I receive thee. 
Knowest thou that night is upon us ? Thy heavy lids did 
exact from Heaven’s bounty thy needed rest. Thou art 
another man to-day ; a day-time’s sleep hath brought thee 
to a pleasure that will repay thy sloth. Come, the repast 
awaits thee, and I, thy hostess, bid thee eat, for thy 
stomach must claim of thee a double allowance, since it 
hath been cheated of its dues.” 

His long fast gave to the tasting of the viands a hungry 
relish that increased with every mouthful. His wit and 
humor were contagious, yet the wine on the table was 
untouched. He sighed as she filled the glasses to the 
brim with the vintage of ancient time, which she, noticing, 
said : 

“Dost sigh when such nectar is had for the quaffing? 
Knowest thou that this wine was found in the ruins of 
Pompeii? Roman lips touched the brim of the glasses 
that we use to-day. Drink sparingly, or thy wits will be 
wandering ere thou canst quaff the contents.” 

A troubled expression came like a cloud over his high 
spirits, as he said: “I wager a crown that thou wilt not 
drink the toast with me this day. Set the wine down 
unless thou wouldst mar the enjoyment of this hour.” 

“Drink to thy success in the far east, and to the Devil 
with that letter on thy breast, that it may harm thee no 
more.” 

The glasses were raised to their lips, but the wine was 
ne’er tasted. “What is the solemn music that cometh to 
my ears ?” She marveled at its sweetness. 

Full and fuller came the weird notes in one grand 
swell that filled the apartment and lingered as if they 
were unwilling to die away. “It is a miserere,” she 
gasped. Her colorless face was turned towards the monk. 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


159 


who was on his knees ; again was the crucifix raised above 
his head. In a mournful tone of voice he chanted the 
answer; then the chords dissolved into silence. 

“In Heaven’s name, what meaneth this strange hap- 
pening? My hair standeth on ends and my very flesh 
creepeth as though it were endowed with legs. Thou 
unhappy man, I cannot ask thee to stay, if thou wouldst 
go hence.” 

For the second time the arms were around his neck, 
the same musical voice plainly said, “Move on !” 

“Who spoke them? Who said' ^Move on?’ Is my 
mind wandering from this material body, that spirits 
should do such things. Where came the music from, 
thou wizard of the world? I would know more than 
thou canst tell to me.” 

“It cometh from the Cathedral of Dantima. These be 
my brothers that send a warning to me across the sea.” 

“The arms around thy neck, how sayest thou? Dost 
Florette know of these?” 

“Right well she knoweth of all this; ’twas on the 
Devil’s Elbow that such things came to me. Dost thou 
blame me for banishing this baleful influence.” 

“Hast thou hope, my solemn cavalier, that thou 
shouldst brave the dangers of such a journey? Thinkest 
thou of the miles of weary travel, the parching of the 
tongue with thirst, the Bedouins, robbers of the desert, 
with naught to guide thy weary footsteps across the burn- 
ing sands.” 

“Seest thou this parchment? I got it from an alchem- 
ist in Dantima. Flere and here, and there, is the duplicate 
of the strange character. I know naught of Arabian lore, 
yet did the alchemist say the routing that this writing 
explains should be followed by me.” 


i6o 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


“Enough of this horror that placeth props to mine 
eyes that I may not sleep for a week. To the reception 
room, where thou wilt find those who have been banished 
from England and await the downfall of King Charles. 
Canst thou blame us for plotting that we may rehold the 
estates that have been confiscated to the Crown that His 
Majesty may reward some favorite that has done his 
bidding with a right good will.’^ 

“Blame me not for the horror that has sobered thee; 
it was at thy bold challenge that the spirits came. Forget 
it and be happy.” 

They moved along stately halls, where softened light 
fell upon niches filled with statuary that had graced some 
Roman Emperor’s court. The exquisite forms of cold 
marble were dreams of the artists who carved them, 
artists whose names were forgotten. The velvet curtains 
were parted by the shapely hands that would have sent 
the blade of a stiletto into his heart and lauded the deed 
as an act of faith. 

“Thou seest here in this goodly company the bluest 
blood of England, yet are they exiles from the land that 
bore them, thanks to thy master, who ruleth Albion to 
her destruction.” 

“In good sooth, right well are they entertained by thee 
that hath the wealth of Croesus. Since thou art mistress 
of such a pile as this that shameth England’s castles, tell 
me thy name, thou courtly dame, and I will cry thee quits 
for the nonce.” 

A sweet laugh was the answer that he received for his 
over-inquisitiveness. 

“It is scant courtesy thou wilt receive within this hall, 
as thou art one of His Majesty’s loyal subjects. There 
is one here that will make thee amends for the dis- 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


i6i 

courtesy. Turn thou thy head neither to the right nor to 
the left; follow thy nose to yon draped pillar of marble, 
and thy happiness shall make thee forget that the apart- 
ment is filled.” 

Florette quickly changed the traces of sorrow that 
made such assembling a penance. She extended both 
hands, and in a bewildered way naively asked: “This 
is passing strange that thou shouldst be here, my lover. I 
pictured thee as sailing on yon great sea to the land of 
thy deliverance. How sayest thou to my questionings?” 

“Ask the one that speaketh to the officer in the uniform 
of a British admiral ; she will tell thee that which tor- 
menteth my soul. She is thy friend, I will be sworn, for 
she led me hither.” 

“Enough to know that thou art with me; yet I would 
not have my father see us together for a jeweled crown. 
Go to yon turn in the hall and I will follow speedily. I 
have that to tell thee which will make thy heart glad. We 
sail for that newly-discovered land named America, 
where we will remain for a twelve-month, and then we 
sail for Dantima, where thou wilt find me when thou and 
thy letter parteth company. My prayers are for thy safe 
return, my king, my lover.” 

When the mistress approached this couple, she made 
her presence known by a slight cough. They had ob- 
served her as she swept across the marble pavement. 
She shook her finger in coquettish manner and quietly 
exclaimed : 

“Knowest thou the hour, thou love-stricken doves, that 
do coo and bill as though the wheels of time -ne’er moved? 
Seest thou the hall is deserted, save by thee ? Sir Cavalier 
Monk, it is my order that thou remaineth over night, thou 


i 62 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


and thy promised bride shall go with me through the 
ruins of a former greatness/^ 

Sir Jasper was loathe to go. The dangers that took on 
a thousand seeming shapes made him cling to the present 
wilh all of the strength of a man that drowneth in the 
sea. He could not give up this sweet maiden, whose 
happiness was dearer to him than his own soul. Thus 
he stayed. Florette was also a guest for the night. 

Bright was the sun that came up in the east to light 
the colossal ruins that these lovers might wander in the 
shadows and replight their love where none might say 
them nay. '‘Come, my lover, I will show thee the Atrio 
Della Chiesa di St. Palo, with its endless rows of fluted 
columns and its choicest flowers. It is the realm of fairy- 
land. Now we will wander to the Fontana Trevi to listen 
to the musical plash of its waters, and sit in its cooling 
shade.’’ 

Thoughtfully they wandered midst the ruins of the 
Coloseo. They sat on one of the tiers of stone seats and 
looked over into the arena, just as the Roman populace 
did in the dead and buried centuries, when these Romans 
witnessed the gladiatorial contests that made butchery 
a holiday. 

"Florette, this is the saddest day of my life. The fu- 
ture is so vague and uncertain. I dare not linger longer. 
King Charles will recall me. Betwixt imprisonment in 
the Tower and the dangers of the East my heart is a hot- 
bed of doubt. Yet the present is so enticing; how fleet- 
ing are its wings.” 

"Do not despair. I say this to thee, and yet am I in 
tears ; but it must be that the future hath hope, and leav- 
eth not the sting of disappointment to rankle in the wound 
that hath no healing.” 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


163 


“I thought not of this food, prepared by my friend, 
that hath been a friend indeed. Put it in thy doublet, it 
may be to thy liking later. We will retrace our steps, as 
the evening shadows come apace.” 

When they reached the palace, their hostess came 
hastily forward. She spoke in an excited manner. 

“My cavalier monk, thou must leave Rome at once. It 
is as thou hast said, the King desireth thy return, and 
hath sent a messenger thither to summon thee hence. 
There is a sailing ship that leaveth in two hours. Follow 
thou the valet that I will send with thee; trust him and 
fear not. By to-morrow’s sun thou wilt be on the high 
seas, where no order shall reach thee.” 

“How can I thank thee for this act of kindness, since 
it is so undeserved. I will be ready on the moment.” He 
buckled his sword beneath his cowl, the cowl he pur- 
chased in Rome, and yet had he the robe of his order 
beneath the newer robe, that the fatal letter might not 
betray him to the ignorant, whose superstition was as 
fatal as death. His poniard lie replaced in his bosom. 
With a hasty good-bye he followed the guide to the har- 
bor, where his vessel lay. The sailors were even then 
bustling about the busy deck assorting the cargo and 
shipping the windlass that hoisted the anchor. 

Thus they parted. The Widow Deycourt and her 
daughter were to sail for the shores of the great con- 
tinent in the West, because the tongue of evil report had 
reached Rome. The slanderer that sent it was none other 
than the duchess, whose soulless persecution was as 
heartless as it was bold. 


164 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


CHAPTER XIV. 

CAPTAIN CARL RESCUES THE CAPTAIN OF THE MYSTERIOUS 
VESSEL. 

Three days after the departure of the King’s messen- 
ger, the family of four reshipped their household effects 
on the cruiser and followed closely the conveyance that 
hauled them to the ship. The widow’s husband was com- 
mander of the trimmest craft that ever showed a clean 
pair of heels to a British man-of-war. The ripple of the 
cut water filled them with joy, for a fresh breeze from 
shore sent the vessel out into the world of waters at a fast 
rate of speed ; the Castle of San Angelo could not at King 
Charles’ demand make them prisoners. 

The captain did not own the cruiser ; it was the prop- 
erty of the rich English woman that had treated them so 
kindly. The refugees that sought protection in a foreign 
land had an interest in the venture, and the despatches 
that caused the English King so much uneasiness came 
from the leaders of this colony. For this reason this offi- 
cer was not at liberty to keep the vessel out of service for 
such a length of time. They were sailing away; this 
departure was a respite from the bitter persecution. 

When the vessel with no name reached the shores of 
the new colony, the prospect was so gloomy that he felt 
like putting the ship about and returning to the Devil’s 
Elbow. His reason for this move was that the round- 
heads had crippled the authority of King Charles by the 
dissolution of Parliament. The Lord Protector assumed 
authority that King Charles combatted. Thus the un- 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


happy country was plunged into a fratricidal war that had 
all of the elements of bitterness in it. 

The freshness of the new country, with its primeval 
forests, its grassy slopes, its beautiful rivers, its strange 
people, savages, that roamed through its woods and 
hunted wild game, was refreshing. This change smoothed 
the touches of sorrow, for they said, here will none know 
us, and slander will be robbed of its venom. They settled 
at the head of a landlocked bay, where a thriving village 
had sprung up ; but these staunch emigrants were round- 
heads, whose austerity carried their laws to the length of 
cruelty. 

There were no idlers in this village, where they at- 
tended divine service with their firearms ; the raids of the 
savages made such an innovation a necessity. He could 
but admire such stern fortitude that carved out of the 
wilderness a refuge where liberty of conscience was as 
free as the air of heaven. The deep snows that covered 
the earth did not deter them from tracking and killing 
wolves. The council that sat in the log-built meeting- 
house made their laws and enforced them. Breaking into 
a house was punished by branding the culprit on the fore- 
head with a heated iron; thus the housebreaker carried 
the word “Thief” on his brow to his dying day. 

Little he thought how these laws would cause him sor- 
row as he read them that he might obey. They were 
welcomed to the colony with that rough hospitality that 
made every new-comer an acquisition, because he was 
one more to fill the ranks of the train band that mustered 
twice a week. The notices for training were posted on 
the meeting house, that was used for a school, a council 
chamber and for preaching. The services of these coven- 


i66 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


anters lasted all day. Thus the fortunes of these wan- 
derers were cast with these pilgrims. 

The little family did their part in the duties of citizen- 
ship until an unforeseen circumstance changed the cur- 
rent of destiny and sent them back to the cottage on the 
clitl. It was in this wise, so said the chronicler : The 
Wido\ Deycourt was at a quilting at the far end of 
the village. 

The log house was next to the forest ; indeed, the long 
boughs of the trees shaded the roof. It was an all-day 
quilting, where cider and home-baked cakes were served 
on pewter vessels. The cakes were made from molasses 
that came from Barbadoes. Our chronicler sayeth naught 
of that which was whispered by these colonial dames, as 
the deft fingers sped the needles and fastened the squares 
of the quilts that made homely coverings to shield them 
from the storms of winter. They were seated around the 
frame that stretched the material. Alas ! that our chron- 
icler must say as much : these hardy dames gossiped. The 
blight again fell upon our unhappy family, yet no one 
accused them openly and fairly. A notice came to them 
by the court officer that they must leave the village. 

“My wife, read thou the writing and what it sayeth. 
We must return to Dantima. Fortunately our cruiser 
will be here within the week. Knowest thou, my wife, 
the cause of this strange persecution ?” 

“Right well do I know the cause, my husband. There 
liveth one here who hath a sister living in London, an 
aunt of Carl’s. Thou rememberest him ; the youth that 
served us so faithfully when we sojourned in the cottage 
on the cliff ? My face came to her as one out of memory. 
She stareth at me as one possessed ; her tongue was not 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


idle, yet know I not the cause until thou bringest me this 
notice.” 

‘‘Heaven help thee, my wife, take it not so hard. There 
is a just God in Heaven ; else is religion a mockery. Thy 
wrongs shall yet be righted^ and in a manner we little sus- 
pect. No one hath accused thee, my wife, and such things 
be.” 

“Naught will save me but the package of letters that 
hath mysteriously disappeared. It was not in the seaman’s 
jacket, all else was there. There is naught to do but trust 
in the future that now seemeth dark enough.” 

The beginning of the week came, and with it the fine 
cruiser with its brass cannons that were polished and 
ready for use. There was no one to say good-bye. They 
came as they went, and the episode in the village was for- 
gotten. 

Their voyage was beset with storms and contrary 
winds, that drove them out of their course. For this rea- 
son they did not reach the cliff of Dantima till the month 
of June, when the foliage was at its best. As the King’s 
men-of-war had been ordered elsewhere the ship, under 
cover of darkness, ran into her mooring beneath the cot- 
tage. 

The sailors unshipped the long rope that opened the 
portals of this cavern that had once been a retreat for 
buccaneers. By the aid of the windlass the furniture was 
hoisted into the house on the cliff. The smoke again 
curled upwards from the chimneys and the old life be- 
gan. The '-.nger was lessened by the fear the burghers 
had for the troopers of King Charles, who were watching 
Dantima with anxious eyes. 

Each week a company paraded on the square. These 
4)eaceful citizens were not allowed to have firearms. A 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


1 68 

hundred troopers were more than a match for the surly 
malcontents that glared fiercely at the soldiers and said 
naught against the King, who was so busy at court that 
the cliff and its ghosts were lost in the maelstrom of ex- 
citing events. 

The smoke did not have such a sulphurous tinge to the 
roundheads, who gazed at the devil’s own, and pulled 
their steeple-crowned hats down lower over their eyes 
as they went about the streets and circulated the latest 
reports from London. 

The clash of war had reached even to the gates of Lon- 
don. Fierce and sharp were the battles that were fought 
between the contending forces as they met on the roads 
that traversed England. During this time the cause of 
royalty was tottering to its fall, and the father of Florette 
was hastening this event. 

Florette rejoiced that the family of the alchemist had 
moved to the metropolis, with its ever changing tide of 
restless humanity. The glen, and especially the grotto, 
were doubly dear to her, as she recalled with pleasing 
minuteness every incident of the monk’s romantic court- 
ship. The thought that he had the dispensation filled her 
heart with silent gratitude. She sang her home songs 
with a mellowness that was tinged with doubt, because 
the months had gone from them, yet had she not received 
any tidings from Sir Jasper. 

While Florette was thus living over the past, Nattie 
and his father v/ere planning to get the despatches into 
London, the despatches that had been sealed and de- 
livered to the captain by the officer who was second in 
command of the cruiser. The danger of strolling bands 
of soldiers that were marauding the highways made the 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


169 


undertaking especially dangerous. For this reason these 
persecuted wanderers dreaded the call of duty. 

A call to duty that was exacting in its details. The 
captain called his son to his side and said : “Nattie, thou 
art well grown for thy years. I ken that thou must stand 
in my stead should I be hanged or shot. I am a seaman, 
but I am not a landsman. This adventure goeth against 
the grain of my judgment, because the disorganized sol- 
diery are as fierce as pirates, and one knoweth not when 
they will take thee unawares, to thy misfortune.” 

“If thou goest, take with thee Dareall. He scenteth the 
danger from afar. Put the despatches in the collar that 
encircles his neck, and if they capture thee, why thou hast 
naught that will condemn an innocent pedler.” 

“Well said, my boy. I will don the clothes and be off. 
These papers should be e’en now in the hands of those 
who will know how to use them.” When he had said this 
he went into his room and fitted the dingy suit of clothes 
to his person and arranged his pack that no suspicion 
would mar the perfection of his plans. Thrice he em- 
braced those who were so near and dear to him and hur- 
ried along the glen until he was fully three leagues from 
the cottage ; then he turned into the highway and assumed 
a stooping attitude that practice had perfected. He leaned 
heavily on the stout staff that had an innocent look, yet 
it was of sufficient heft to make it a dangerous weapon 
in the hands of a resolute man. 

Often he met roving bands of soldiery, yet were these 
not harmful, for the reason that they were filled with 
rum. The jovial wag of their tongues and the clatter of 
their horses’ hoofs on the hard ground deadened any 
sound that might come to them from the front. 

When the pedler came up with such bands he stepped 


170 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


to one side and hid behind the blackthorn bushes that 
skirted the length of the road until they were well out of 
earshot. He had made many leagues ere the sun was 
down, yet was he still a good half of the way distant from 
London ; besides the most dangerous part of the duty was 
before him. The nearer he approached to the great city 
the more travelers he met. For this reason he passed the 
night in a field covered with underbrush. He could see 
from his place of concealment the watchfires at the stone 
bridge. Whether they were friends or foes he could not 
make this out, for the distance was too great. 

As the stream was deep and wide he must perforce pass 
over the bridge or turn back and make a detour of many 
miles. He clenched his fists and made bold to advance to 
the sentries. 

The barrel of a gun was leveled at him. A clear chal- 
lenge rang out on the frosty morning air: “King or 
Commoner?” shouted the guard. “And thou halt not I 
will give thee that which will make thee more prompt of 
answer.” 

“Neither one nor the other. I am a poor wayfaring 
man that maketh his living by selling these trinkets that 
please the women. Naught do I know of this land, since 
I came from over the sea.” 

“Ho! this is a kettle of fish that is unsavory for the 
cooking. Thou art neither fish, flesh nor fowl. A for- 
eigner, sayest thou? How long hast thou been in Eng- 
land? I have no orders to detain thee, since thou art 
neither of the King’s subects nor art thou a follower of 
Cromwell. Go thy way in peace. Halt! It were well 
that I get further instructions from the captain of my re- 
lief.” 

The soldier gave a shrill whistle that brought from the 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


171 

far end of the bridge a dozen of men who were filled with 
rum and swagger. 

“David, what hast thou caught in thy net by thy chal- 
lenge? a pedler, sayest thou? Come, thou decrepit son 
of trade ; we will examine thy pack, and if aught of trea- 
son is hidden therein thou hangest by the neck without 
shrift or prayer.” 

They emptied his goods on the grass and found the 
papers that belonged to an estate in which the pedler was 
interested. They turned them over eight times, and every 
time they scrutinized them they became more suspicious. 

“These smack of musty treason to good King Charles^ 
or I have no knowledge of writing.” Neither of these 
could read. The seals on the documents added to the 
perplexity of these men. The fiercest soldier spake and 
shouted : “We hang thee because thou art neither fish, 
flesh nor fowl. Thy country from whence thou earnest 
can well spare thee. Hadst thou been a trooper of Crom- 
well we had shot thee, but thou art on neither side; we 
will hang thee to yon projecting limb.” 

“Thou canst not read the papers, and yet thou wilt 
murder an innocent stranger that goeth to his business in 
London. If thou canst not read them, call thou thy com- 
mander and he will tell thee there is naught of treason 
here ; they are papers of the court, and belong alone to 
the law. The very mustiness of these should teach thee 
better. They were old when thou wert born.” 

“Seest thou yon preparation? Thou shalt not see the 
sun go down. We will divide thy pack, that the gewgaws 
may go to the women at home and thy body to the car- 
rion crows.” 

They pinioned his feet and hands and had put the rope 


172 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


about his neck, then the sentinel that halted him inter- 
fered. 

“Stand away, thou drunken troopers of the King! I 
alone am he who should be beholden to King Charles. 
It was I that was on guard. The man hath done no 
grievous wrong. Wait till the morrow when our captain 
cometh ; then if these papers smack of treason, I will be 
the first to hang him.’" 

The pedler spake up and said: “If there be aught of 
treason in the package then I will tie the noose that stran- 
gles me.” 

“We will leave the dangling rope for the morrow, 
when our captain cometh.” 

They searched every pocket. When they had done this 
they bound him so that he could not escape. He sat 
through the long night gazing at the stars. The effort of 
a lifetime to be thus rudely plucked from him. Thrice 
the drunken soldiers attempted to burn the pack and the 
papers. What agony was so great as this ? but the cour- 
age of the sentinel that halted him checked the disorder, 
and the package was saved from destruction. 

The pedler watched the sun as it came up from the 
east. All of his hopes were centered in the officer that 
commanded the troop. The troopers all stood at atten- 
tion as the captain acknowledged the salute, and in some 
surprise exclaimed : “What is this ye do, my men ? Who 
stood watch on the bridge when the challenge was given ?” 
He glanced around and saw the preparations that had 
been made. He saw the man lying on the ground, bound 
hands and feet. A flush of anger mantled his face as he 
inquired: “By whose authority was this done?” 

A guardsman more old than the rest spake and said: 
“The prisoner is a foreigner, and is neither fish, flesh nor 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


173 


fowl; a pedler that selleth his wares to the undoing of 
good King Charles. He hath papers that condemn him, 
and hadst thou not been so prompt in thy coming, he 
would ere this have sawed the air from the branches of 
yonder tree.’’ 

“Give me the papers, that I may read them.” 

The troopers gathered around their young captain, 
while he read distinctly so that they might understand the 
purport thereof. 

“Unbind the prisoner. There is naught suspicious in 
the papers or the pack. Mount thee, my good troopers ; 
we are ordered to London. David, ride thou double. 
Thou hast treated this unfortunate man in a barbarous 
manner. Give him thy horse to ride and a safe conduct 
he shall have to the city.” 

Turning to the prisoner, he spake: “Sir, ’tis well that 
my troop was at the bridge else had it gone harder with 
thee. This kingdom hath run riot with disorder and law- 
lessness ruleth the hour.” 

When they were a good furlong from the bridge the 
captain and the pedler rode on ahead of the column, 
while the noisy soldiers dropped behind to talk of the 
event that nearly cost Florette’s father his life. 

The officer spoke in a guarded tone to the man by his 
side. “Thou art not what thou seemest to be. Thou art 
related to the Widow Deycourt and her daughter. What 
the relationship may be, that I know not. Didst thou note 
how the dog wagged its tail at my approach? I helped 
Nattie carry the papers thou hast from the Custom House 
in Dantima to the foot of the hill where the cottage now 
standeth. Fear not to speak freely. Thou goest to Lon- 
don to consult an advocate concerning the estate?” 

“I mistake not, and thou art Carl, the alchemist’s son. 


174 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


How lucky was tjie star that brought such a piece of 
good fortune to me. Ne’er had I reached my destination 
but for thee. Other favors that I recall make me thy 
debtor, for which God will bless thee.” 

‘Hot worth mentioning, I have forgotten it already. 
Right glad am I to see thee. Tell me of Florette and Nat- 
tie. Dwell they on the cliff? It shall be my pleasure to 
move my troop thither and see that no harm come to 
them.” 

“I am more than certain that they will give thee the 
welcome that thou deservest, as thou knowest about this 
case at law. How standeth the King’s benches these un- 
certain times? Is justice meted out with a balanced scale, 
or is Cromwell to make new laws as to succession ? May- 
hap that I make this journey for naught; advise me and 
I will thank thee.” 

“That I cannot tell to thee. I am no counselor to make 
such distinctions. Find thou thy friend who imbibed legal 
lore from Oxford, and then he will hum and haw ere he 
giveth thee advice.” 

“Once safely landed in London I will seek the wisest 
counselors who keepeth in touch with the times. I lose 
naught by the waiting, since time will make the cause 
more just.” 

“We are nearing the city. One piece of advice I give 
to thee. Thou hast been in foreign lands and know not 
where the pitfalls lie. If thou lovest thine own, heed what 
I tell to thee. I do my duty to good King Charles, yet 
something whispereth to me that his cause is hopeless. 
The roundhead element gathereth strength daily. Their 
soldiers are better trained. The King hath lost his judg- 
ment to rule and anarchy reigneth in his kingdom.” 

“Is it so serious as this, my young friend? Now for 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


175 


the advice that thou givest me. I promise thee that it 
will be heeded unto the end.” 

“Remain thou non-committal,” Carl whispered; “yet 
for policy sake lean thou to the side of Cromwell, for if he 
is your enemy he will be just. Should England have this 
Lord Protector, the estate that thou lost by injustice shall 
come to thee again. My true sword shall serve His Maj- 
esty even unto the gates of death. I will meet with thee 
again in Dantima. Here we part. Shake thou not my 
hand else suspicion will attach to thee to thy injury.” 

The pedler dismounted and thanked the young officer 
in a clever manner. He stood for a moment on the street 
and watched the troop clatter down the paved avenue at 
a sharp trot. When the soldiers were out of sight he 
called the dog to his side, shouldered his pack, adjusted 
his staff and followed Dareall through the crowded streets 
until his guide stopped in front of a large stone building 
that was conspicuous by a bronzed knocker that was more 
ornamental than useful. He raised the metal high and let 
it fall with a sharp clang. The door was opened by a 
servant. 

“Thou lookest with suspicion upon me,” the pedler said. 
“Call thy master to the portal and he will give me wel- 
come. Come, my good man, bestir thee, I wish not to 
stand prating with thee at this hour.” 

When the master of the tiouse approached, the pedler 
gave a peculiar sign, which the owner seeing, straightway 
conducted the stranger to a sitting room. When the door 
was closed these men threw their arms around each 
othePs necks and then sat down. 

“It is a miracle that I see thee, my old friend. Hast 
thou the despatches that are overdue ? Produce them, that 
I may make my orderings. Thou reachest me through fire 


175 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


and flood. Rest thee till I return, for thou art fatigued. 
Thy face showeth me as much,” saying which he hur- 
riedly put on his hat and was gone. 

When he returned his face was beaming with happiness, 
as he continued : “Not a word of the business that bring- 
eth thee here until thou hast rested. Then thou canst tell 
me of the hairbreadth escape that must have come to 
thee. These be unsettled times. The highways are filled 
with lawless soldiers that would rob thee for the pence 
in thy purse or cut thy throat for the pleasure of killing. 
Good night, may heaven bless thee.” 

“John, see that we are not disturbed. Call us when the 
dinner is prepared. And hark ye, I am not at home to 
any one.” When this aged servitor had bowed himself 
out, the distinguished barrister who had once been in the 
employ of the family cleared the table of everything and 
proceeded to unfold the papers that the pedler handed to 
him; he smoothed out the folds with a professional dig- 
nity and placed them in the order of their issuance, and 
took from a portfolio the legal documents that he, the 
counselor, had filed. 

“Now we have them in order. I will examine them as 
they come to my hand from the right. It is a very old 
estate and dates back to the Norman Conquest. It has 
passed from one generation to another, and each genera- 
tion that owned it has been persecuted in some way. It 
would be to me a doubtful inheritance, but the title clearly 
rests with thy wife, and in the King’s chambers thou shalt 
be righted.” 

“How wilt thou dispossess the present incumbent, since 
she is hand in glove with His Majesty? and well thou 
knowest that she hath the most unprincipled counselor, 
and I will add, the most brilliant, in England.” 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


177 


'‘Thy case is not as well fortified as I could wish, yet 
it is strong enough to begin proceedings for evictinent. 
A scheme cometh into my head that will prove more pow- 
erful than the law. Well thou knowek that she knoweth 
that she hath possession only by authority of the King. 
As his scepter slippeth from his hand so slippeth the con- 
fidence of this beautiful adventuress from her.” 

'T understand not the drift of thy thought. She cameth 
into possession as a defamer of the innocent, an infamy 
that had cost my wife her head but for timely flight, and 
now she is outlawed by a royal decree.” 

“Make a bold front and give her to understand that all 
of the documents are in our hands, and my judgment for 
it that she maketh a hasty exit, especially so since her 
Lord Protector hath little authority to say thee nay.” 

“Thy plotting is excellent, but who will tell this to her? 
Right well thou knowest that her assassins would make 
short work of my endeavors, should I go thither. It is 
not thus that I wish a settlement.” 

“I ask thee not to go. I will be the agent that accom- 
plisheth this in as neat a manner as if thou hadst done the 
same thyself. I will have this bundle of formidable 
vouchers to make the deception more complete.” 

“Good ! I will remain closely housed whilst thou goest 
thy way. King Charles hath little liking for me or mine. 
I venture not to cross swords with him until this legal 
affair is at its clearance.” 

“Dinner is waiting our presence. When we have dined 
I will order my vehicle and make my best bow to this 
high-titled dame, who hath carried affairs with a high 
hand in the heyday of King Charles’ greatness. I will be 
mindful of thy safety in this matter and mislead her. She 


173 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


is overshrewd in her calling, and will surmise that the 
papers came to me by thy hands.” 

Having delivered himself of this harangue, he climbed 
into the clumsy coach and drove to the Ashton Park, 
where he had little difficulty in gaining admittance, as the 
grand-dame was watching his approach from the window. 

When he entered the drawing room she advanced to 
meet him with a pleasing smile. 

“Mr. Weilford, I believe I mistake not, and thou art 
the barrister that hath the case of so-called Widow Dey- 
court.” 

“Thou hast truly said. I came to have counsel with 
thee. The papers that have so long been laid away have 
at length been brought to the light of day. Thou knowest 
what this meaneth. Wilt thou give possession of this 
property in a peaceful and law-abiding manner, or shall 
I put thee before the King’s bench? Thou hast thy 
choice.” 

“Wouldst thou permit me to see the papers thou speak- 
est of, and I will give thee answer on the morrow. Well, 
thou knowest a woman’s wit is the surprise of counselors, 
even unto those who stand high at the bench, as thou dost 
stand. Here is a table. I see there be many documents.” 

Not abashed, the counselor proceeded to comply with 
her wishes, which she seeing, interrupted him by saying : 
“It is enough. I wish not to trace these musty deeds to 
my undoing.” She said this with a weary air, that had 
despair in the silence. She raised her hands to her hair 
in a dazed way that had a weary significance in this that 
it pleased the barrister, yet showed he no signs that ex- 
ultation was uppermost in his thoughts. 

“On the morrow will I give thee an answer. I must 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


179 


consult my counselor ere I go a step in this matter. Show, 
the gentleman out, Pierre, and return to me at once.’^ 

When the servitor came into her presence, she angrily 
exclaimed: “Why didst thou not tell me of the arrival 
of those papers. I am undone by thy negligence, and the 
papers are in his counselor’s hands.” 

“Knowest thou, my mistress, that the man thou wisheth 
most to apprehend is in the city. I was powerless to 
harm him, since he was guarded by the King’s troopers. 
He rode to the barracks with them. I know not where 
he stayeth. He came as a pedler.” 

“This is all the report thou hast to make. Fie on thee, 
Pierre; thou art not the shrewd servitor that thou hast 
been in former years. I told thee to waylay him, and take 
from him that which would save me my estate, and now 
thou comest empty handed to me.” 

“My mistress, I was powerless. The soldiers guarded 
him. The sharp trot of the horses was faster than I 
could run, and I know not the troop that came with him.” 

“Go to ; this is the first time thou hast failed me. Give 
orders that the coach be brought to the side door, and I 
will be ready on the moment.” 

This disappointed woman alighted at the palace and 
without ceremony she sought the King, who was in deep 
dejection. He merely raised his head and said: “What 
wouldst thou ? Thou trouble breeder ; thy affairs are now 
more important than affairs of state.” 

“Your Majesty, the game is in thy hands. The noble- 
man that gave thee so much trouble is in London. He 
came from Dantima direct, where the family are now. 
Get thee the warrant ready and I will place him in thy 
power.” 

His Majesty spoke peevishly: “Let him stay. He can 


i8o 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


do me now no harm. All of my plans maketh no front 
against this Cromwell, who hath hedged the Divine right 
of kings till naught is left of my power. Had my friends 
been zealous in my cause this had not happened. Brave 
Sir Jasper was true to me and worth a kingdom full of 
such hot-headed fools that fawned only to flatter, and he 
wandereth like a jackdaw in some foreign land upon a 
senseless errand that will cost him his life. He hath cool- 
headed brains, and would have balked the roundheads in 
council as well as in war. Go to. I will do naught for 
thee and thy cause.’’ 

The duchess withdrew from the King’s presence in a 
hot temper ; yet dared she not to say even so much as a 
word. When she was alone in her beautiful home she 
sought not to send for her counselor, but made prepara- 
tions for a hasty flight. ‘‘The last hope is gone ; yet am I 
not a pauper. I have hoarded these diamonds like an ava- 
ricious miser.” 

As she said this she gazed lovingly at the gems that 
had a thousand eyes to charm her. “Well I love thee, 
since thou standeth between me and penury. I have my 
chateau outside of Paris, and the pricing of these would 
ransom even King Charles. I leave to those that come 
after me a goodly inheritance of debt that the taxing of 
Cromwell will increase. 

“How will I watch for Sir Jasper when he returneth 
from his mad expedition. I will woo him with my 
charms, and thus break the silly maiden’s heart.” She 
glanced out upon the lawns and noted that the stars were 
in the sky. She gathered her valuables within a small 
compass and fled. When morning dawned she was on 
the stormy English Channel heading for France. 

The flight of the duchess was soon noised abroad by 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


i8i 


the servants, who clamored for the wa^es due to them, 
which same coming to the ears of Mr. Weilford, he im- 
parted to the happy man that stood in the middle of the 
room and wept. “Nay, my friend,” the counselor re- 
marked ; '‘it is better to weep for joy than it is to weep 
for misfortune. The place is thine to have and to hold 
unless Cromwell say to thee nay. It hath come to my ears 
that he is a just man, although he hath an iron will. Upon 
thy petition he will make thy title good.” 

“How will I ever be able to repay thee for the time and 
money spent in this proceeding, or how can money repay 
thee for the unalterable friendship thou hast at all times 
extended to us when the frowns of fortune were as dark 
as the hinges of Hades. Not once hast thou faltered in 
the well doing.” 

“Have done with thy thanks, and I will tell thee how 
thou canst repay me. Move into thine own ere it is se- 
questered to the crown and we are quits.” 

“Yet I would give it all for the bundle of letters that 
Providence it seemeth hath overlooked. What is a good 
name? It is the fairest possession that honor bequeaths. 
What are lands and houses in comparison to this ?” 

“Grieve thou not. God doeth all things well, and even 
in this He is with thee, as the future will develop. Jus- 
tice must have its course as truly as the seasons come and 
go. Thou must set out for Dantima this day, and I will 
occupy Ashton Park till thou returnest to thine own.” 

Without adventure he reached Dantima and brake to 
the dear ones the tidings that were received in silence. 
They were not overjoyed that they would again resume 
their old life while the charge of poisoning hung over the 
widow who had suffered for so many years. 


i 82 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


CHAPTER XV. 

THE king's messenger SAILS FOR ARABIA. 

Sir Jasper hurried to reach the decks of the ship that 
was bound for Alexandria. The accommodations of this 
craft were of the poorest, and the fare was even worse, 
though the price for the voyage was reasonable enough. 
He never quitted the spot where he could get the last 
glimpse of Rome until the vessel was well under way. 
Then the fear of the messenger King Charles sent became 
the least part of his thoughts. 

He was hungry. The homely fare sat not well on his 
stomach. Then he bethought himself of the lunch that 
Florette had placed in the pouch of his cowl. When the 
last vestige of land had sunken behind the horizon he ate 
a part of the food with a hungry relish ; yet he did not 
eat extravagantly, but placed the remainder in the pocket 
from whence he had withdrawn it, because the sensation 
of hunger that once possessed him was satisfied. 

The sails filled out at once. The breeze was sending 
her on her way without so much as a change in her 
course. A lonesome feeling crept into the nobleman's 
heart as he looked over the taffrail at the foam as it 
glided from the sides of the seasoned oak and came to- 
gether again far behind, he bethought himself of his own 
venturous life and his love for Florette. The omen 
seemed a good one. “May it be like these waters with us 
and our love,” he murmured. 

He said this as he turned his face to the passengers 
that gathered in a knot on the forward part of the ship. 
Upon these depended the pleasant hours of the voyage. 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


183 


He scanned their faces slowly. The movement did not 
please his fastidious taste. There were among the pas- 
sengers all nationalities. The turbaned Turk with his 
serious face ; the negro with his black skin ; the prosper- 
ous merchant with his cargo of goods, and the Mongolian 
with his dark features and straight hair; these were his 
companions. 

He had little to say to those who understood English 
those that could not speak his language he avoided. Thus 
the days dragged along. At night he would watch the 
phosphorescent glow that played upon the waves with 
a restless gleam that died away only to be renewed. He 
drank in great draughts of salt sea air and thanked God 
that it was no worse than the present gave to him. 

The cabin was small and uncomfortable. For this rea- 
son he sought the deck and rolled up in his blanket. He 
slept soundly. The pleasant rocking of the vessel in- 
vited deeper sleep. 

The captain of the ship came to him, and with a rough 
shake awakened the sleeping messenger. The seaman 
spoke in broken English, and asked the monk to go below. 
He (the passenger) sprang to his feet at once. He cast 
his eyes over the face of the sky that was clear when he 
laid down to sleep. Now not a patch of stars was visible. 
The heavy bank of clouds seemed to scud before the 
wind with remarkable speed. The sailors had done their 
work well, for every sail was clewed down and the 
hatches had been secured so that the waves that washed 
over the ship could not scuttle her. 

Sir Jasper had been careless with his cowl when he fell 
asleep. The high wind that almost threw the craft on 
her beams end left him little time to secure the folds of 
his robe ; firmly he held to the ratlins of the shroud, be- 


184 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


cause he was fearful that he would be washed overboard. 
While he was thus clinging to the rigging a strange thing 
happened, and one that shaped the destiny of his future 
wanderings. 

A blow on the head felled him to the deck. When he 
recovered his senses the dark visages of the sailors were 
gleaming above him. Their looks were ugly enough. He 
sprang to his feet and stood at bay. While he was thus 
posed his quick eyes observed something lying on the 
deck. He picked it up ; it was a frigate bird that was only 
stunned. It was this that smote him so sharply and ex- 
posed the fatal letter. 

The effect on the sailors was indescribable. They 
glared at him in horror. In their language they kept up 
such a babel that he could hear their noise above the roar- 
ing of the storm. Then it came to him what it meant. In 
their superstition they attributed the coming of the storm 
to his presence on board. He kept his fingers closed on 
the handle of his poniard ; while he held the bird in the 
other hand, he thus addressed it : 

“Thou white-winged messenger from the vast deep, 
why shouldst thou reveal the secret that burns into my 
brain like fire, that others may persecute me ? Thus do I 
forgive thee the misfortune thou hast brought upon me.” 
Gently he loosened the pinioned wings; the bird sped 
away and became a gleam in the darkness, a homeless 
wanderer like unto himself. 

The monk could see by the light from the binnacle 
lamp that they were talking about him. Every now and* 
then they pointed towards him in a threatening manner. 
The captain approached him and said : 

“Thou must go overboard; thou art some strange be- 
ing that this world knoweth not; for this reason thou 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


must die by thine own hands. Thou must cast thyself 
into the sea, that all on board may live. What is one life 
to a hundred. See, the sky grows blacker, the men refuse 
to work. I have too much in this bark to be responsible 
for. Stand thou here and when I give the word, thou 
must jump.” 

“Since death is so certain, and one man weigheth so 
little against a hundred, it is to my thought that there are 
other ways less barbarous.” With the ending of his say- 
ing, he drew his sword and fiercely exclaimed : “If I die 
for a superstitious belief, others shall die in the assault; 
life is as dear to me as thine is to thee. Give me yon boat 
that swings from the davit of the ship, and the oars there- 
of, and I go in peace.” 

The captain went aft, and in some tongue not known 
to the doomed man he spake for ten minutes. The ha- 
rangue had some effect, because he noted that these sea- 
men answered by a nod of approval. The owner stepped 
up to him and repeated in English what he said to his 
men, “Get into the boat, and I will lower thee gently by 
holding tightly to this rope, where the pulley swings 
above.” When the wind lulled sufficiently, the King’s 
messenger with difficulty climbed into the yawl. This was 
a dangerous feat, for the reason that the roughness of the 
surface of the sea made the ship pitch forward and side- 
wise in a very uncomfortable manner. 

When all was ready and the moment propitious, the 
small boat was lowered to the trough of the sea. A great 
wave with a white crest carried him away from the vessel 
into the darkness. With manly courage he grasped the 
tiller with both hands and steadied his frail bark. Every 
sea threatened to fill his boat. Though he was no sea- 
man, his appreciation of the danger made the thoughts a 


i86 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


safety valve. He held firmly to the rudder and ran before 
the wind like an arrow sped from a bow. 

The lights of the big ship were no longer visible. By 
the touch of his feet he knew that the oars were firmly 
secured by being wedged beneath the seats. Fortunately 
for him, there was no rain. The chances were that the 
storm would not last longer than daylight. By the flashes 
of lightning that made the sea visible for a distance, he 
knew he was alone. No friendly aid rose up out of the 
water to give hope; only the fierce howl of the wind 
and the turmoil of the waves were around him. He had 
no compass to guide him. Thus he drifted in the direc- 
tion of Alexandria, at the mercy of the elements. 

The morning broke cold and gray. The sky was over- 
cast with banks of clouds. Not a cheering ray of sunlight 
peeped through any blue rift in the heavens. His anxious 
eyes were bent on the horizon for some succor, some 
friendly sail that might take him on board. As far as the 
eye could see the ocean was shipless. All day and all 
night he drifted thus. His hunger was unappeased, then 
he bethought him of the food that Florette had placed in 
his pocket. Never did a morsel of food bring gladder joy 
to a hungry soul. He did not eat ravenously, because he 
did not know when help would be at hand. He bethought 
him of the essence of the peppermint plant. He dropped 
three drops on the end of his tongue ; the coolness of the 
preparation soothed the irritating effects of thirst. 

His thoughts took a peculiar turn. He laughed like 
a madman, but only the echo of his own voice came back 
to him. “The irony of fate,” he bitterly exclaimed. “Ten 
days ago I was dressed in purple and fine linen, a pam- 
pered darling of fortune, eating with keen relish the lux- 
uries of sunny Italy, surrounded by wine and beauty, 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


187 


strolling among the wrecks of Roman grandeur. What 
am I to-day? An outcast, with only this frail shell be- 
tween me and the gray ooze at the bottom of the sea, my 
tongue parched with thirst. Mayhap I drift to Calypso’s 
enchanted isle, where my life shall end.” 

In his haste to reach some harbor of refuge, he rigged 
a sail by using the outer priestly robe. He placed one of 
the oars in the hole that once held a mast, and with the 
cord that bound his cowl about his waist he secured the 
fastenings. In the joy of his heart he shouted aloud. The 
stiff breeze filled out this strange sail, and his boat made 
good headway towards the ancient city of Alexandria. 

Another danger came with its brooding horror ; his eyes 
were heavy with sleep, the sleep that would perhaps send 
him to the bottom of this ocean. He took the cord from 
his waist, the cord that bound the cowl of his order and 
concealed the baleful letter, and lashed the tiller firmly 
to the seat. He took dov/n his gray sail and stretched 
himself at full length on the bottom of the boat, and knew 
naught till the rocking of his boat ceased. He opened his 
eyes to find one of the passengers of the ship that had cast 
him adrift bending over him in a devotional manner that 
puzzled him. She was an Italian. In her broken English, 
by signs and words, she informed him that the ship went 
down and all on board were lost, with the exception of 
herself. 

The superstition that made him a Jonah when he was 
on the ship now made him an avenging god to this poor 
terror-stricken woman whose orisons were demonstrative ; 
her industrious tongue had made him such in the eyes of 
those who crowded around him. Never did the baleful 
letter glare with greater intensity. He heard the name 
of Allah on every side. A squad of Moslem soldiers sur- 


i88 A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 

rounded the boat. He was too weak to make any resist- 
ance. The want of water made him delirious. When 
reason returned he was lying on the sofest of cushions. 
He reached forth his hands to touch them. They were 
silk curtains of the richest material hung all around to 
deaden the sound of his voice. 

Oriental lamps swung from the ceilings and shed a 
perfumed light on this mass of magnificence. He pushed 
the curtain aside and beheld successions of Moorish 
arches and mosaic pavements. The carved pillars that 
supported the dome were enriched with arabesque. ‘‘Am 
I a puppet of strange dreams, that I see such visions?” 
He i>aid this as he looked around him in amazement. 

“Is this Calypso’s fairy isle? Where is the vine-hung 
cavern and the fountains crystal play? Do these rich 
curtains hide the panorama from my bewildered sight? 
Are these her nymphs that flit noiselessly around me?” 
His senses were disenchanted; these nymphs were only 
servants to wait upon his pleasure. The fragrant aroma 
of coffee came like the spiced breezes of Arabia to make 
the pangs of hunger more real. What were these eastern 
dainties to one who had suffered from shipwreck?” 

In vain he tried to make them understand that he 
wanted something more substantial than dates and con- 
fections. The effort ended in failure. He ate the sweet- 
meats that they handed to him in silence. The coffee 
was stimulating; for thus much was he thankful. The 
softness of the divans and ottomans enticed sleep, and 
with darkness around him, he sank to rest, dreaming of 
Florette. 

When he awoke refreshed he looked around him for 
some means of escape. The truth dawned upon him for 
the first time. He saw the Turkish soldiers walking their 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


iSg 

posts with watchful care. They were stationed at in- 
tervals of fifty feet. He stole into the great building, yet 
knew he not its uses. The paved aisles echoed his lonely 
footsteps. He approached the magnificent altar. Then 
the horror of the situation dawned upon him : he was in a 
Turkish mosque. The moslems of the East were to ele- 
vate him to the dignity of a god through the superstition 
of these followers of Mohammed. 

He knelt in prayer at the gold railing and cast his eyes 
upward to the ceiling that towered above with its lofty 
grandeur, and prayed for deliverance from captivity. The 
solemn chant of his brothers in Dantima drifted from 
across the ocean to soften the feeling of loneliness that 
enthralled his heart. He replied in a more earnest man- 
ner than he had ever done before. Again and again the 
sad sounds floated through the arches to terrify these 
poor girls, who knew not the cause thereof. 

A feeling of irritation took hold of his mind. *‘Here 
have I again riveted my chains with a stronger holding. 
These maidens will make superstition a true belief. Why 
did I kneel at this unholy chancel?” He said this as he 
returned to his curtained apartment that was part of the 
altar, and sat indolently trying to make some plans for 
his liberation. 

Sir Jasper counted not time. The days drifted into 
months, yet he knew not if a year had rolled around. The 
thought of the promise that he made Florette came to him 
like some instrument of torture to make him more anx- 
ious to escape. One day there was a commotion outside. 
He peeped through the stained-glass windows. A palan- 
quin was brought into the mosque, and he was borne 
away. He knew not the direction, because the cur- 
tains were tightly drawn. For days he was conscious of 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


190 

a rocking movement, with intervals of rest. Then he 
was conscious that he was being carried on men’s shoul- 
ders through busy streets, where the sound of many 
voices and the tramping of many feet informed him that 
his journey was ended. Again he became an altar 
adjunct. 

This mosque was more gorgeous than the one he had 
quitted in Alexandria. The Egyptian maidens that were 
his attendants in the first prison house were replaced by 
Circassian girls of great beauty. The vessels of the 
mosque were of solid gold. How his English blood re- 
belled at the strange faces that came, peeped through the 
opening in the curtain, and then withdrew. Day after 
day was this repeated, and yet the end was not in view. 

During the hours of his former duress he had dili- 
gently mastered the language of Arabia. That now 
promised him some hope of a speedy escape from his 
captors. His plans were strengthened by the daily con- 
versations that perfected him in this strange language. 
They informed him that his destination was Mecca, where 
the prophet was suspended between Heaven and earth 
at one side of the altar. A great hope came to him. 

He drew from his cowl the precious parchment that the 
alchemist gave to him. The name of Mecca was trans- 
cribed thereon. A new happiness came to his heart. The 
curiosity to unravel the mystery grew upon him as the 
distance to the goal of his desires decreased. These beau- 
tiful women that had pleasure in serving him were as- 
tonished at his fluent mode of speech. While they were 
not Arabians, yet they, like himself, spoke the language. 
The noble captive improved with diligence this oppor- 
tunity to make his escape. 

“Callisto,” he said with pathetic gravity, “tell to me 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


191 

the legends of Arabia; tell to rne the reason for my im- 
prisonment. Why should I always be obliged to live in 
these mosques and be attended by women? I never see 
any men except those that worship in thy temples. Where 
am I now? By the rocking motion of the palanquin I 
must be in the interior of the land.” 

The beautiful slave laughed a soft laugh that showed 
her regular pearly teeth on both sides of her gums, as 
she replied: “Thou art in Alexandria still, where thy 
misfortune cast thee. The journey thou didst take was 
to enhance the solemnity of the prophet’s religion, of 
which I know little. Thou art the true prophet that was 
to come out of the West — a greater than Mohammed art 
thou.” 

“Callisto, light of my soul, soften thine heart, and lend 
me thine ears, for it will bring wealth to thee. Thou 
must know that I am a powerful prince in my own coun- 
try, and I will make thee free. Thou shalt not be a slave 
to be sold to whoever will buy. Thou shalt have jewels 
and fine robes to adorn thy heavenly beauty. Thou shalt 
command thy servants with a modest grace, and be in 
thy realm a queen. Allah will crown thee with the wish 
of thy heart.” 

She looked up to him naively, and replied as she drew 
closer to his side : “I would that thou givest me thy love.” 
There was no timidity in her nature. She was unlettered 
in the art of feminine diplomacy. The wish came di- 
rectly from her heart, and her perfectly formed mouth 
was the servant of her will. 

His intense love for Florette inspired him to act a 
hypocritical part. If he could gain his freedom by build- 
ing false hopes in this young girl’s heart, what was that 
to the bondage of such a life? “Dost thou mean that I 


192 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


should marry thee, light of mine eyes, to gain my lib- 
erty ?” 

‘T know not whereof thou speakest. Marry, marry; 
what is the meaning of the word? I was sold for the 
harem, but my beauty belongeth to the prophet, and thus 
thou hast me as thy attendant.’’ 

The thought was abhorrent to his better nature. By 
her desire she would be to him as a slave of the harem, 
subject to his carnal desire. If he should escape and re- 
turn to England with her as such, what would Florette 
say? He could not abandon her to her fate, because she 
saved him from a life of misery. Such cowardice were 
deserving of fagot and fire. “Callisto, I press thee to 
my heart. Allah, be praised that thou sayest such words. 
They are the sweetest that ever fell from human lips.” 

“Nay, thou great prophet, not so loud of speech, for 
some, even now, might be concealed behind the tapestries. 
Then would my plans that I have for thy escape make 
me a victim of the bowstring and a watery grave.” 

“Allah, forbid that such should be thy fate. I would 
not have thee risk thy sweet life for my reinstatement to 
royal favor. Get me but so much as my sword and dag- 
ger, and some outlet from this place, and no suspicion 
will attach to thee, thou harmless dove.” 

Again she laughed softly. “Knowest thou where thy 
sword and dagger are? They are in gold-mounted crys- 
tal cases, and are as sacred as the little bit of green bed 
curtain of Mohammed.” 

She placed her finger to her lips as a token of silence, 
and darted away. He could hear the curtains move all 
around him. He followed the movement with caution. 
This hope that he had builded on this girl’s love was to 
be frustrated by spies. Perish the thought. It was Cal- 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


193 


listo making the rounds. Thankfully he breathed a 
prayer for her safety. 

As the evening drew on, the shadows grew deeper in 
the aisles of the great dreary mosque. The place of Mo- 
hammedan worship was closed. The perfumed light of a 
golden lamp filled the interior space with a sickening smell 
that he detested. His home in England never seemed so 
far away betore this time. Better the letter with its bale- 
ful influence and scarecrow notoriety than this uncertain 
existence. He was reclining on the luxurious divan when 
Callisto glided to his side, and bending his ear down to 
her mouth, whispered : “They will take thee hence, and 
I will see thee no more. Thou hope of my heart, here is 
a complete suit that my deft fingers have made thee. Thou 
wilt need all of thy courage. I will put the fittings on 
thee, but not now.” 

“Tell me of the danger, that I may be prepared.” 

“Not now. I will be with thee on the morrow when 
the first beams of the sun redden the East.” 

The fear that he would be separated from Callisto 
made his sleep far from refreshing. Eagerly he watched 
the first gray streaks of morning creep through the parted 
curtain. “Callisto, is it thou, my deliverer, come to array 
me in this outlandish garb ? Do thy work, and do it speed- 
ily, for I like not the tidings thou gavest to me on yes- 
terday.” 

While she was trimming the frock of his cowl even to 
the waist, she began : “There is a legend among the fol- 
lowers of Islam, that a greater than Mohammed will come 
to judge the people. The dead prophet, whose bones rest 
at Mecca, was of the earth earthly. The one that is to 
come will rise out of the sea. Thus the three elements, 
earth, air, and water, are the emblems that thou seest on 


194 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


their standards. Thou earnest to them in a mysterious 
way. The open boat that brought thee has been cut up 
into small pieces for the mosques. The woman that first 
saw thee was she of the ship that sent thee adrift. It was 
she that related how the vessel was wrecked, because the 
punishment of Allah was upon the cruel sailors.” 

‘‘Would that she had gone down with them ere she 
gathered these fanatics to the boat. Go on, I would learn 
the lesson well ; keep nothing back.” 

“Light of my eyes, thou wilt never return to thine own 
land. They will keep thee a prisoner in the gilded cage 
of superstition until the breath leaveth thy body; then, 
like the great prophet, thou wilt be buried at Mecca, 
and enshrined by the side of the altar.” 

“And they learn what a cheat that I am, these deluded 
followers of Islam, what happeneth then, my good girl ?” 

“These followers of Islam will make pieces of thy body 
to feed the hungry dogs of Constantinople, or torture 
thee as only the populace of the East know how to do.” 

“And I an innocent victim? It seemeth inhuman, Cal- 
listo, imprisoned against my will, and then to be tortured 
for my misfortune. Let us away. I want no more of this 
Ottoman power.” 

“A nation, as well as an individual, never forgets or 
forgives the wrongs that it has committed on innocence. 
With them, wrong must be right, and right must be 
wrong, even unto the taking of life.” 

A groan escaped from his lips. The horror of his ex- 
istence for the first time dawned on his mind. 

She laid the hood of his cowl flat on his shoulders. 
Over this she drew the showy jacket. His hair she gath- 
ered on the top of his head, and she secured it as only 
a woman knows how to do. She placed the turban on 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


195 


his coil of curls, the baggy trousers she fastened at the 
waist with a belt, from which swung a scimitar, with its 
curved blade that was always getting between his knees. 
Even this seemed to be an old friend, as he ran his thumb 
along the razor-like edge. It was heavy enough to de- 
liver a terrible cut. She took from a bag a long, black 
beard and carefully adjusted same to his chin and cheeks 
and fastened it back of his ears, that the false hair might 
not betray him. A pair of slip-shod slippers was placed 
on his feet. 

“Walk thou like this. Give to thy gait an indolent, 
slightly rolling movement, that thou mayest play thy 
part so well that none may suspect thee, for on the action 
of thy bearing depends thy life, and not thine alone, but 
mine also.” 

“Take thou these small coins; put them in thy purse, 
for thou wilt need them to fee the beggars that will delay 
thy steps if thou give them not alms. The doors of the 
mosque will open in a few minutes. Conceal thy person 
behind one of the largest pillars. When two or three 
enter, walk thou to the altar and prostrate thyself thrice. 
Each time touch thy forehead to the pavement, and pass 
out with the devout.” 

“Where wilt thou be, thou God-given angel, when I am 
on the streets of this ruined city ? For I am as helpless as 
a child that hath not been weaned.” He pressed his de- 
liverer to his breast with all of the ardor of a lover. Not 
that he loved Florette less. It was a wave of gratitude 
that swept memory to the winds. He kissed her thrice 
and moved out into the mosque, as he was directed. 

When the doors were opened the waiting faithful pros- 
trated themselves. Intent on their devotion, they did not 
notice him as he mingled with them. With stately grav- 


196 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


ity he performed his part. He moved out into the street, 
where he imitated the slovenliness of Mohammedan life, 
and followed the figure of a woman whose face was veiled. 
They kept the same distance between them until they 
reached the Egyptian part of the city. Then Callisto 
walked slower until the King’s messenger came up with 
her. The end was not yet, for she made many devious 
turns, then looked cautiously around and disappeared 
into an opening in the ruins ; he followed. They were 
together in the darkness. 

“We are safe here, sun of my soul; they will never 
find us, because the ruins are so vast. Good Mohamme- 
dans do not come to this part of Alexandria because it is 
unclean. The dogs of Egyptians, as the followers of 
Islam call them, dwell here; so take thy rest. The hole 
that sheltereth us was once a reservoir where water was 
gathered by the thirsty of other days. Thou seest how 
dry it is. I will close the opening and light this lamp, 
that we may see how much space cometh to us.” 

“How long will we be in this place that sheltereth us 
now? I am eager to see the end of my journey, Callisto, 
my soul misgiveth me; thy power of endurance is not 
sufficient to carry thee over the wastes of sand that lie 
between me and the goal of my desires.” 

“If it is by thy side, what mattereth it. Dangers shared 
with thee are obstacles overcome. Naught have I but 
thee on earth. I was torn from my home and sold as a 
slave by my parents to these brutal fanatics, to be shut 
up in a harem. Death with thee is preferable, and the 
stars that shine above us see it.” 

While she was saying this she lighted the lamp and 
made some coffee that was stimulating. “I give thee not 
much, for we may be here a month.” The food she di- 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


197 


vicled with equal care. “If it fail, then will I secure more ; 
yet I like not the risk.” 

“Thy wisdom is beyond thy years. Since the opening 
is closed, how shall we breathe — hast thou thought of 
this?” 

“This is the lair of wild beasts. Foxes and wolves 
come hither. Dost thou not feel the cool air that flows 
along the bottom? Through this underground burrow 
come they thence.” 

She placed her small hand on his mouth. “Dost thou 
hear the sound of many voices and the trampling of many 
feet above us? Keep silent for the moment, until the 
danger is passed.” 

The fugitives from fanaticism were in darkness. All 
around and above them were anxious soldiers, and even 
the despised Egyptians were paid to find where they were 
hidden. This was continued for a week. Then all was 
still once more. Yet ventured they not out, lest spies be 
hidden in the ruins. By the little rays of sunlight that 
came through the cracks they had counted thirty sun- 
rises. Then Callisto crept forth into the city disguised 
as a youth. 

Sir Jasper awaited her return with impatience. “How 
is my destiny bound up in this frail girl that yet seenieth 
to be a child in years?” He said this with a tenderness 
that bordered on love; he recalled every look that she 
bestowed upon him ; well he knew that her life was bound 
up in his by an interdependence, for said he : “What use 
are these muscles of my arm against a people that smile 
in my face, and stab me in the back ?” 

Callisto crept into the opening, and threw her arms 
around the nobleman’s neck. “My soul of life, all is safe, 
thy escape from the mosque is concealed from the fol- 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


198 

lowers of Mohammed, who still believe that thou art in 
the temple; our journey will not be delayed at the gates 
of the cities through which we will have to pass ; to-night 
we will set forth, to-morrow’s sun must find us on the 
route to Cairo ; I have bought two patient donkeys that 
will rest us as we journey to the East ; eat first of thy fill, 
and refresh thyself, thou must play the part of a deaf 
Turk.” 

A day’s travel brought them to the great pyramids ; an 
awe stole upon the King’s messenger while they passed 
through this stretch of gigantic ruins ; he lifted his eyes 
to the top, the greatness of ancient Egypt dawned on his 
vivid imagination, he repeopled the land as it was in the 
days of the Pharaohs. The nimble animals in the mean- 
time ambled along, swaying their long ears backward and 
forward in a laborious manner, while their shaven tails 
industriously brushed the tormenting flies from their un- 
protected flanks. 

They passed unnoticed along the road, because It was 
the regular highway to the city of Cairo, which place was 
ahead, a dozen of leagues to the right ; it is situated upon 
a sandy plain where two streams diverge ; the low walls 
were in sight ; above them the domes and minarets of the 
Sultan Tayloon’s and the Sultan Hassan’s mosques glit- 
tered and dazzled in the rays of a tropical sun ; the groves 
of dates, palms, oranges, and citron, made the picture one 
of beauty, a dream of enchantment. They passed through 
the gates and took their way to the Turkish quarters of 
the city. 

Callisto’s ready wit extricated her companion from a 
full score of unpleasant situations ; he played his part so 
well that the dear woman at his side sometimes laughed 
outright ; his ready hand went quickly up to his ear when 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


199 


a stranger addressed him ; his painful effort to hear what 
they were saying to him was so natural that it disarmed 
suspicion. 

The following morning they filed out of the half ruined 
gate while the sun was rising above the wastes of sand, 
and followed the traveled road to Suez ; though the dis- 
tance was only twenty-five miles, it took them two days 
to make the journey. The patient beasts of burden made 
little headway because the yielding nature of the soil made 
the undertaking difficult. Both were in a contented frame 
of mind: they had escaped the dangers that they were 
now leaving behind them, and every mile they made was 
a fuller guarantee of safety. 

“Soul of my soul, thou playest thy part so well that 
thou couldst go where no dogs of Christians ever go ; 
but what is their religion to thee, and still less is it to me ; 
thou knowest not the happiness that my heart feeleth be- 
cause I am with thee to be thy slave, never do thou cast 
me aside ; the strange mission on which thou goest will 
have wondrous happenings to thee; the strange letter 
groweth brighter each day that we travel eastward; my 
poor head knoweth not the meaning, but be thou mine 
till death.” 

“Callisto, in our land a man hath but one wife, and the 
laws of the country make it so; I love a maiden that 
dwelleth in Dantima, and well she knoweth that my heart 
is hers ; what wouldst thou do in such a situation ?” 

“I would be thy other wife, it is so written in the Koran, 
I would love thee with all of my soul ; thou wouldst not 
choose one in preference to the other.” 

He could not mar the happiness of this beautiful woman 
by explaining the further details of the law ; in his honest 
heart lie had made it as plain as he could ; he felt that he 


200 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


was absolved from any deception ; should she return to 
England with him she would understand more fully the 
situation ; thus they traveled along, happy in each other’s 
company. 

It was late in the evening when they reached Suez ; 
they turned off to a clump of dates and palms two miles 
distant from the city, on the shore of a long and narrow ' 
sea ; they made no light, but ate their dates and- drank a 
liquor made from the juice of the cocoanut; it was a 
wise precaution, for the desert Bedouins came even to 
the walls of Suez ; they tethered the donkeys where they 
could nibble the stunted verdure that grew on the shore 
of the gulf, and made themselves comfortable for the 
night. 

Sir Jasper could not sleep, his eyes were fixed on the 
stars above him, he had never seen them twinkle so 
brightly or seem so near. 

The thoughts came so thick and fast that his brain was 
in a whirl ; how he loved the confiding maiden that lay 
beside him lost in the dreams of a childish sleep; her 
breathing was soft and regular; secure in his care, she 
feared no danger; for this reason was he more vigilant; 
the sword that he carried was of little use, he would have 
given twenty like it for an English gun with powder and 
ball ; little he thought how near was the fulfillment of 
his wishes. 

A groan from some human being brought him to his 
feet in an instant ; he cared little for the gew-gaw weapon 
at his belt; he made a stout, heavy staff when he was at 
Cairo ; this he grasped with a firm hand and followed the 
sound that grew louder as he progressed. Hidden away 
in the heart of a copse was a rude hut ; the denseness of 
the foliage made it a very secure retreat, the light from a 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


201 


very small lamp shone through the cracks, a dozen steps 
forward and he stood by the side of a stranger, whose 
feeble voice meekly gasped: 

“Help! help! for the love of Heaven, help! I am 
dying, and not the sound of a human voice near to pray 
for me.” 

Sir Jasper laid his hand upon the clammy brow where 
the death dews were gathering, and said : “Peace be with 
thee, the Lord has heard thy prayer, and I do thee the 
good offices that thou mayest pass away with thy soul 
satisfied ; first let me examine into thy case, there may 
yet be hope.” He advanced the bronzed lamp, the light 
fell upon the sick man’s face where death had stamped 
its impress. 

The dying man clasped the Turk’s hand in his : “Who 
art thou that speaketh mine own tongue,” he whispered, 
for the gift of speech was even then going from him ; 
“I pray thee, tell me ere I pass away.” 

“I know not who thou art,” the hermit said, “but thy 
face is a warranty that thou hast an honest heart ; listen, 
I have but a few moments to live, bring me hither the kit 
that thou seest yonder; be quick, for my breath goeth 
fast.” 

When the bundle was placed near to him, the dying 
man pleaded: “Unbuckle the fastenings and spread the 
contents before me.” Then he handed a bundle of letters 
to the Turk; and said: “Shouldst thou ere reach dear old 
England, I charge thee, as a dying man that hath made 
his peace with the world, that thou wilt deliver this pack- 
age to the person to whom it is addressed ; here is a gold 
ring of curious design, let me slip it on thy finger that 
thou mayest not forget ; never withdraw it ‘until the letters 
are delivered, and God will bless thee,” 


202 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


The dying Englishman rallied for a moment, and con- 
tinued : “There is my gun, it is true and good for a great 
distance ; thou wilt find the powder in this package, and 
the bullets in this package, keep it as a precious heritage ; 
often hath it saved my life in the wilds of this strange 
continent with all of its witchcraft. God grant that it 
may save thee until thou readiest Albion ; I was on my 
return when this sickness came upon me ; take thou this 
spy-glass also, it will serve thee many good turns ; the 
last breath is going, kneel thou and pray for me.” 

’Twas a solemn sight to see this wanderer drink in 
every beautiful word of the supplication for mercy and 
pardon that issued from the lips of the Turk as he rev- 
erently knelt by the side of the stranger, whose face 
lighted with happiness as the prayer ended. “God bless 
thee, all I own is thine.” Then the ominous rattle came 
to his throat and he was dead. 

The morning was well advanced when he returned to 
the spot where he had left Callisto sleeping. A great fear 
came to his heart ; not only was the maiden missing, but 
the beasts of burden as well ; the tracks were plainly 
marked in the sand ; with great haste he pushed after the 
robbers, the obstinacy of the donkeys saved the precious 
girl from capture; the more the robbers belabored these 
dumb animals, the more they thrust their hoofs in the 
sand and refused to move. 

Rapidly Sir Jasper gained on them ; when he was in 
gunshot one of them raised a spear to murder Callisto, 
while the others were belaboring the animal she was tied 
to ; he glanced his eye along the bright barrel, a puff, a 
little cloud of smoke slowly drifted towards the gulf, the 
savage fell dead, his uplifted spear dropped harmless to 
the ground ; undaunted the other robbers ran towards 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


203 


him, three spears whistled dangerously near to him, two 
shots from the small arms stretched two more dead upon 
the sand, the fourth fled with the speed of an antelope. 

“God be praised that thou art unharmed, thou dear soul, 
a moment more and he had thrust the spear into thee ; 
never again will I leave thee for a moment. While he 
“was making such speech he cut the thongs that hurt her 
tender flesh, and lifted her from the donkey; when he 
had done this, she fell at his feet and exclaimed: “Let 
me be thy servant, thou called of Allah, I am unworthy 
of thee, it will be happiness enough that I may attend 
thee.” 

“Fear not, light of my eyes, ’tis strange, yet will I show 
that Allah had little to do with it, or the death that it 
brought to those that would have harmed thee.” While 
he was saying this he was fastening the long thong that 
was made of hides to the feet of the three dead men ; with 
the aid of the donkeys he dragged them to the shore of 
the gulf, and tumbled them into a ravine where the first 
wind storm would bury them. 

They rode back to the habitation of the late English- 
man, where they were safe from intrusion for a time at 
least. With his hands he prepared the body for burial, 
and dug a grave under the floor of the hut ; he read the 
funeral service, and buried the traveler and his kit with 
reverent silence. He reserved some bullets for the brass- 
barreled pistols ; the compass he kissed thrice, and 
stroked affectionately the spy-glass that had its case and 
straps. 

“Callisto,” he began, “this thing that thou seest, and 
the thing thou fearest most is harmless, unless thou pour- 
est this dark stuff down its round throat, as thou seest me 
do now. I place some paper next, and with this stick I 


204 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


push it thus until it reacheth the powder. Seest thou this- 
round lump of lead that I also send down the barrel, take 
one in thy hand, touch thou a match to the black grains 
that I hold on this piece of bark ; now it cometh to thee, 
thou art a quick-witted girl; think not that Allah hath 
aught to do with this.” 

He took the telescope from its case, and extended the 
draws to their full length, drew Callisto to his side, and 
said: “What seeth thou?” She placed her eye to the 
little end and turned pale, as she faltered : “The strange 
thing bringeth the sea to my feet, and the shore, and the 
trees.” He patiently explained to her the uses of the in- 
strument that brought objects nearer, then he also ex- 
plained lo her the compass, and showed her how the 
needle always pointed to the polar star. 

“Star of my life, let us not tarry, but hurry forward ; 
the ruler that sent the robbers will be upon us with his 
hordes ; delay not a moment, thou didst not know it, but 
the men thou slewest had the letter thou bearest on thy 
breast also on theirs.” 

“It is my fate to do the thing that harmeth me most, 
yet could I not see thee killed for a kingdom of such 
Bedouins ; is not thy life more precious than these ? Keep 
thou the glass to thine eye and tell me when the boat ap- 
proacheth; we will betimes embark before the boat is 
crowded.” 

The package of letters was carefully protected by some 
thin oil skin ; the fastenings were secure ; the tightness 
of the cords that bound it made the bundle diminutive 
enough to go into a pocket that was next to his body on 
the right side ; when this was done he took the spy-glass 
and trained it on the Gulf of Suez. Callisto’s warning 
made him anxious ; if these Bedouins had been sent by 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


205 


a ruler why did they try to kill the girl and himself? This 
question came to his mind for the third time; the sight 
of the craft that was as yet a long distance away made 
him feel that the danger had lessened. 

“Callisto,” he said, “we will time our movements so that 
we will reach the pier just in time to embark. I like not 
delays at the landing, too many curious eyes follow us; 
this acting fills me with anxiety.” Then changing the 
subject, he added, “Here is the Englishman’s money; se- 
cure it about thy person in a manner that seemeth best to 
thee, it may serve us a good turn ere the journey is ended ; 
art thou ready? The clumsy bark seemeth but a poor 
means of travel, but it is better to go forward thus than 
risk the treacherous sand.” 


2o6 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


CHAPTER XVI. 

CARL HAS A NARROW ESCAPE IN THE KING's SERVICE. 

Carl, the alchemist’s son, now captain of one of King 
Charles’ companies of troopers, arrived at the gateway of 
Dantima; the soldiers had ridden hard, they were tired 
and hungry, consequently in no mood to bandy words 
with any one, more especially the gatekeeper who closed 
the entrance to the town at the time they halted. 

“Odds wot what ails thee. Calker? Where is Dame 
Gretchen? Hast thou forgotten Carl, the alchemist’s 
son ?” 

A voice from within replied: “Thou art spewed out 
from the mouth of Dantima these many days, for thou 
ridest in the cause of King Charles.” 

“Out upon thee for a seditious traitor,” the young cap- 
tain exclaimed in a loud tone of voice. “Is King Charles 
not thy ruler ? beshrew thee, thou sluggard, thy incivility 
is great ; open in the King’s name or I will convey thee to 
London where such a speech would be richly repaid by 
the hangman’s rope.” 

A more affable tone of voice came as a reply to this 
harangue. The words were : “Possess thy soul with pa- 
tience, thou ungodly youth, thou hast not changed thee 
one whit since thy boyhood.” 

While the gatekeeper was mumbling these crusty words, 
he was swinging the massive gate back on its oiled hinges ; 
the soldiers took possession of the town ; never since the 
oldest inhabitant could remember had Dantima witnessed 
such a sight. The boy that once stood at the pillory was 
the courted pet of the royalists, even the roundheads 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


207 


crowded around to welcome him. The soldiers with their 
bright uniforms, the jingling of spurs, the rattle of swords 
had a peculiar charm for the maidens of the burgh ; right 
royally were the troopers entertained ; all of the best brew- 
ing from Mother Shipley’s cellar was drunk, and hilarity 
ruled the hour. 

While his soldiers were being thus entertained their 
captain sought the old Cathedral of Dantima ; he found 
Father Leonard at his devotions ; he was so absorbed in 
his meditations that he did not at first recognize Carl, 
who had grown four inches. “Dost thou not know me, 
father? It is three years since I departed hence; I am 
Carl, the alchemist’s son.” 

“So many troubles come upon us, my son, that my 
memory sometimes plays me false. Well do I know thee 
now, thou hast my blessing ; God sent thee and thy men 
to save the Church from pillage. A company of Crom- 
well’s soldiers are even now on the road, thou wilt not 
permit them to desecrate this altar that is reverent with 
age, and thou lovest me do this thing Carl, and Heaven’s 
blessing shall rest upon thee.” 

“Father, I came to visit Florette and her mother; dwell 
they still on the cliff, and are they well ? By an accident 
the news of their arrival came to my ears, and I hastened 
to pay my respects to them ; surely thy church and thy 
religion shall be protected by force of arms, so rest thee 
contented ; I will make the ordering of the battle outside 
of the walls. Thou didst not tell of they that once dwelt 
on the Devil’s Elbow.” 

“They have moved to London. Ashton Park is the 
name of the estate. I am sorry for thy sake, Carl, that 
thy hard ride is for naught.” 

“Say not for naught, since my coming brings safety to 


2o8 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


thee; and now for a brush with these Covenanters that 
sing Psalms while they do battle valiantly for the cause of 
the Lord Protector.’’ 

Carl had the advantage. Right well he knew how to 
select the ground where he could place his troopers on 
each side of a narrow pass on the road. 

A sharp trot swung the line into position. One platoon 
was faced towards London ; the other platoon was faced 
at right angles to the first platoon. This arrangement 
gave the troopers a raking fire on the line of march of the 
roundheads ; the videttes were sharply advanced to note 
the approach of the enemy, while the flanks of Carl’s com- 
mand were protected by squads detailed from his picked 
men. The young captain was not informed as to the num- 
ber of the foemen. There might be a squadron or there 
might be a squad. 

The morning was half spent when the videttes rode in 
and fell into line. The sound of horses’ hoofs came to them 
from the valley below. The commoners were not expect- 
ing danger as they pushed up the declivity to receive a 
deadly volley at a short range that emptied a score of sad- 
dles. Carl’s clear command to charge was promptly 
obeyed ; each trooper drew his saber, tightened his rein 
and spurred his horse to a gallop. The onrush was terri- 
ble ; the momentum of the charge carried King Charles’ 
troopers into the vortex of battle, where the tide of war 
was thickest. Horses were thrown to the ground and 
their riders crushed beneath them. Those steeds that 
were riderless were galloping wildly over the valley ; thus 
Cromwell’s soldiers were routed and dispersed. 

The dead, wounded and dying were brought into the 
town; the curses of the covenanters were not loud but 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


209 


they were deep. Carl drew his men up in line and har- 
angued the citizens thus: 

“Hark ye, townsmen of Dantima, should ill befall 
Father Leonard and his churchly belongings, it will be 
a sad day for the zealots whose swinging carcasses shall 
feed the hungry vultures in yonder glen. Remember well 
what I have said to thee, if thou values! the safety of 
Dantima.” 

The clatter of horses’ hoofs died away with the dis- 
tance. The excited roundheads returned to their fire- 
sides to nurse a grudge against those who had once lived 
on the Devil’s Elbow ; a grudge that was as deeply sealed 
as of yore. All of the recent misfortunes were coins 
paid for by the sale of the cottage to the Widow Deycourt 
and her children. 

Carl made good speed of his journey to London. The 
hope of seeing Florette was a potent factor in the haste 
that brought the troop to the gates of London ere the 
moon was three hours high. He turned his command 
over to his lieutenant and rode to the sweet rest of his 
quiet home, where a mother’s welcome and a warm meal 
regaled his appetite. 

“Mother, knowest thou that Florette is in London ?” 

“Carl, my son, go not hither. Well thou knowest that 
Florette can never be thine. She loveth thee as a friend 
only. Take thy mother’s advice and stay away.” 

The young officer donned his bright uniform and gave 
extra touches to his cavalry boots ; he adjusted the set of 
his military hat, with its long black plume, while he 
hummed a minstrel ballad. The fire of love that had 
smouldered for so long now burst forth with renewed 
'force. As he rode through the manor gate he admired 
the handsome grounds that surrounded Ashton Park; 


210 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


while his horse walked slowly along the hedged drives he 
thought of the cliff and the troubles that came to him 
there. The change puzzled him. With his mind filled 
with queries, he raised the bronzed knocker. 

He sat with some impatience in the maroon-colored 
easy chair. Every fibre of his being was vibrating with 
hope. It seemed that Florette was tardy with her toilet, 
although scarce five minutes had passed since he knocked. 
Perhaps he was intruding. Other worries made him rest- 
less till he heard the rustle of silk at the door. 

“Carl, is it thou, my little playmate? Forgive me for 
keeping thee waiting. Thou art a soldier now. Bravely 
thou bearest thy honors. Thou hast grown a hand’s 
breadth taller; thou art much broader across the shoul- 
ders. Thy comely soldierly appearance overjoys me. I 
will call mother to greet thee.” 

“Nay, do no such thing, thou perverse child. I would 
have speech with thee first. As thou sayest, I have grown 
and filled out. The boy thou knewest once is now a man. 
It was the hard life of a soldier that made me what I am. 
Florette, thou earnest near to breaking my heart when 
thou fledst from the cliff. Thy note under the rock made 
life little worth the living.” 

“Little choice had we. Thou wert lucky to get thus 
much. King Charles’ soldiers gave us little time to say 
to thee good-bye. We have the warmest corner of our 
hearts reserved for thee, and may thy advancement be 
proportionate to thy desire. We are secure here in our 
rights, and await the decision of Cromwell to make it a 
finality.” 

“Florette, art thou as happy here as thou wert at the 
cliff ? It is not so, because thy color is changed ; thou art 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


2II 


pale; thou hast been crying. What is it that troubleth 
thy heart?” 

“There is naught that thou canst do for me, Carl. I 
prefer the cliff with its ghostly horrors to this magnifi- 
cence. I tell to thee, Carl, there is one that I love ; alas ! 
he wandereth afar, yet have I no tidings from him.” 

“Sayest thou, my playmate, it is the cavalier monk?” 

Without heeding his question she said : “The years that 
creep so slowly by only bring me yearnings that grow 
with every passing breath. If I could only place the 
sweet past in the same little niche in my heart, how happy 
would I be. Alas ! how can hope be satisfied ?” 

With Carl, love was blind. He did not understand 
the cause of her sorrow, and pressed his suit by pleading : 
“Florette, I have loved thee with all of the fidelity of a 
boyish love. Thy presence was happiness to me. Thy 
absence misery. Time has not chilled the flame that lights 
my future with hope. May I, dare I expect that thou wilt 
bless my coming years by bestowing on me thy hand and 
thy heart?” The modest confusion of his manner was 
charming. 

“Carl, I would not cause thee one pang of sorrow for a 
diadem. Thy love any woman would feel proud to own. 
My heart is another’s who traveleth in the far desert of 
Arabia. For three long years has he been absent. Canst 
thou blame me for the grave doubts that fill my anxious 
heart ?” 

The young officer’s chin sank upon his breast. He 
tried in a manly way to hide his agitation that unnerved 
him as he replied : “Alas ! I knew not of this. Thou hast 
crushed me with the words that make hope a mockery.” 

“Should he never return, then the love thou askest 


212 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


shall be thine. This is all of the hope I can give to thee, 
Carl.’’ 

“Then thou biddest me to hope. These be crumbs 
that fall from love’s table; they must feed my starving 
heart. ’Tis better than desolation.” 

The Widow Deycourt entered and ended this painful 
scene. She advanced to the young officer and shook 
both hands warmly. “How is thy sweet mother, Carl? 
How proud she must be of thee, her soldier boy. Thou 
lookest every inch the trooper. I charge thee as thou 
valuest my friendship, convey thy mother hence, that we 
may in a small way return to her the kindness we had 
from her in Dantima.” 

“It shall be as thou wishest, when more peaceful times 
shall dawn on our unhappy England. I am so constantly 
on duty that it giveth me little time to stay within doors. 
Father still dreameth over his life’s work with all of the 
enthusiasm of youth. Our absence will be to him a mis- 
fortune. I must mount and away, for stirring times make 
quick advancement.” 

Carl rode to his quarters in barracks, and had or- 
dered one of his men to unsaddle his horse when a page 
from the King placed a sealed note in his hand and de- 
parted. The flush on his face deepened as he read the 
lines : 

“I have good report of thee. Ride to the palace at 
once.” 

The young officer lost not a moment of time, but rode 
at a sharp trot to the King’s chambers, where he dis- 
mounted and followed a gentleman in waiting, who con- 
ducted him into the presence of His Majesty, who looked 
long and anxiously at the youth, whose military bearing 
pleased him. “Thou art a youth in years and a soldier 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


213 


in experience. I will entrust thee with a commission 
that will try thy wit to the utmost and thy bravery even 
unto the gates of death. What sayest thou 

“My duty to my sovereign is not measured by such 
dangers. My life for it that I will execute the trust.” 

“Thou hast our gracious permission to be the bearer 
of despatches that I will place in thy keeping later when 
we are alone. Canst thou set out with dispatch ? 
Change thy uniform ; it were not well to wear such, as 
thou wouldst be a target for the bullets of the enemy. 
Upon the expedition of thy charge hangeth the fate of 
my crown.” When he had placed the package In the 
youth’s possession he withdrew, and Carl rode home to 
make preparation for the journey. 

His mother was surprised at the change in her son, for 
he was disguised. The thought came to her that his 
commission had been cancelled. He quieted her fears 
by the explanation that he gave to her, but he told her 
not of the danger as he kissed her with unusual affec- 
tion and rode away to the borders of Scotland. 

Much depended upon the animal he rode. He patted 
the fine horse on the neck as he rode along, and said: 
“Bessie, thou must bear me far and safe. There is dan- 
ger ahead. Thou art clean-limbed. Thy power of en- 
durance is great. Much will be required of thee.” The 
suit of clothes was genteelly shabby. Neither was it too 
new nor too old. He studied carefully the writing on 
the paper that was given to him; the roads he was to 
take, the places he was to stop for refreshments, the 
inns whose landlords were royalists, were all jotted down 
on the paper. 

The danger increased as he advanced. He was in the 
heart of a country where the name of a royalist was de- 


214 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


tested. Thus far it was an uneventful journey to him. 
He reached his first stopping place, where he dismounted, 
threw his rein over his arm and followed a bridle path 
that led to a comfortable English home whose massive- 
ness astonished him. The thickness of the walls was in- 
dicated by the deeply indented windows that were almost 
concealed by ivy. He entered the grounds by way of a 
gothic gate and rapped as he was directed. 

The smile of a rosy-cheeked maiden greeted him as 
the door cautiously opened. “Who art thou? and from 
whence comest thou?” were the words that reassured 
him. He knew he was at the right place, because the 
words that she used were understood secret signals be- 
tween royalists. Seeing her youth he replied : 

“Call thy mother that I may have speech with her.” 

A matronly woman approached and looked fixedly at 
him. When he gave the sign her manner changed. 
“Welcome thou art in the name of good King Charles. 
We are intensely loyal to our sovereign. What comfort 
thou mayest take in this manor is thy due.” 

“In the King’s name I thank thee. Would that those 
who say neither yea nor nay to his cause were half so 
loyal, then would we make stronger headway against 
the covenanters that make the cause of Cromwell a power 
to be feared.” 

“Tell to us how fares the cause of His Majesty. It is 
full three months since we have had tidings from Lon- 
don. Here we are cut off from the world and surrounded 
by roundheads that guard the borders with a vigilance that 
is wonderful. Hearest thou them singing Psalms as they 
ride to and fro. They are under the command of Gen- 
eral Monk, who knoweth not the nature of mercy. He 
sticketh those that be bearers of despatches (from Kirg 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 215 

Charles to Glasgow) through and through, as thou 
wouldst spit a hare. Fear nothing ; they have just trotted 
away for the night. Thou wilt be safe, but to-morrow 
must not find thee here.” 

“It paineth me to tell to thee that the cause of King 
Charles is hopeless unless he hath the aid of some foreign 
power, but our loyalty must the brighter grow, as our 
King’s star recedes. Some stroke of statecraft may yet 
tide over the misfortune.” 

His animal was stabled out in the woods. This precau- 
tion was taken for fear of the pickets that came for feed 
without saying as much as by your lief. By Carl’s di- 
rection the saddle was not removed from the mare’s 
back. He entered the cheerful room that had been pre- 
pared for him with his mind filled with plans for the mor- 
row. He studied closely the strip of paper that had com- 
plete direction written on it. 

“Bessie,” he mentally exclaimed, “I must leave thee 
behind. The risk is too great. I will need thee later; 
then thou wilt be fresh when thou bearest me back to 
London with the papers that His Majesty desireth most.” 

He dropped into a troubled sleep that ended with 
dawn, and arose to make his exit. He was preparing to 
depart when the hostess stood before him. 

“Stay! thou goest not without a bite. It is early yet. 
Thou wilt need something to stay thy stomach; as thou 
goest on foot abide awee and I will prepare it myself.” 
He waited with some impatience for the food. His fast 
the night before whetted his appetite and gave him a bet- 
ter humor for the delay. 

“I thought so,” lie said. “I hear these cursed Psalm 
singers changing guard. I will wager a crown that they 


2i6 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


come to this house, and should they try to find me my 
brave words to the King will end with failure.” 

His hostess came to him quickly and stammered : “The 
pity of the thing, and I did pray thee to remain. Thou 
must play the part of a serving man. Make the change 
quickly, for they are on us as though they would search 
the house. Remember, thy name is Peter. Take thou 
this rope and bring wood that is already cut into the 
house. Keep thy wits about thee and fear naught.” 

The tramp of soldiers sounded ominously from the 
front gallery. The loud knocks on the door made Carl 
nervous as he hastened to the woodpile and wielded an 
axe with such skill that even these roundheads were de- 
ceived as they watched him from the house. He made 
a bundle of fagots and fastened it with the stout cord, 
threw it over his shoulder and entered the room where 
the madam was remonstrating with the grizzly officer 
in command, who had no more consideration for a help- 
less woman than he had for a cow. 

“Ho ! ho ! what have we here. A Royalist in disguise. 
I’ll be sworn. Let me but gaze on thy face.” Carl had 
learned from Nattie the trick. He dropped the lower lip 
and while the spittle ran from his mouth his face took on 
an idiotic stare that made this officer laugh outright. 
The hostess fairly shook with laughter as she exclaimed : 

“Peter, they took thee for a Royalist.” He answered 
not a word, but picked his nose and drew the sleeve of 
his coat across his nose in lieu of a handkerchief, and 
without paying any further attention to the soldiers he 
took each fagot at a time and put it in the box by the 
fire. 

Cromwell’s soldiers searched the manor from garret 


217 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 

to cellar, yet found they naught suspicious. The officer 
said: 

“It seemeth strange that such things should be told 
to us. The suspected bearer of despatches was tracked 
to this place, and yet I find him not.” 

The owner of the manor spake up and explained : “The 
man thou seekest is far hence by this time. He rode to 
the south and hath outwitted thee.” 

Hurried orders were issued to the command that gal- 
loped away in hot pursuit. The madam laughed till the 
tears ran down her cheeks. Every time she looked at 
Carl a fresh burst of merriment overpowered her. 

“The King needs have no fear of thy ability to carry 
despatches or anything else. Where learned thou the 
trick ?” 

“From Nattie, the son of Widow Deycourt, who dwelt 
near Dantima. Oft hath it stood the boy a good turn in 
searching for papers in the old Custom House.” 

“Thou knowest the family, and thou here with me. 
Tell me of them ; it has been years since they passed from 
my memory. Nay ! nay ! I detain thee not ; thou shouldst 
be gone. I wot well where these soldiers were stationed; 
the soldiers that have ridden away. The road is clear 
for thee, and the pass in the hills unguarded. Thy name, 
good youth? ere thou goest from me.” 

“Carl, the alchemist’s son.” 

“My sister’s child,” she exclaimed with great fervor. 
“I am thy aunt and this is thy cousin. Right proud I am 
of thee. Good care will I take of thy horse while thou 
art gone. Be sure to come this way when thou returnest. 
I have much to say to thee.” Mother and daughter em- 
braced Carl and led the way to the back entrance where 
a serving man awaited his coming. 


2i8 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


Not a word was spoken as they pursued their way 
through devious windings until they stood on the soil 
of Scotland. The reticent man pointed to the road that 
Carl was to take and disappeared. 

“The worst barrier has been passed. Were it not for 
that grand woman never had I seen this side of the pass. 
Who may she be? I heard naught of her from my 
mother’s lips.” 

She informed him that Scottish wit would be his dead- 
liest enemy ; that their soldiers were bloodhounds that 
never quitted the trail until the game was brought to 
bay. These thoughts nerved his soul to greater effort as 
he plodded along in the suit of clothes that he had on 
when he acted so well the part of the idiot. The rough 
shoes blistered his feet, yet not for one moment did he 
halt or turn back. Northumberland and the Cheviot 
Hills were behind him; his destiny was in front of him; 
the miles were rugged and rough. He bathed his swollen 
feet in' the brawling streams. The farm-houses where he 
begged for food begrudged him a bowl of oatmeal por- 
ridge. He rejoiced that this was the case, because his act- 
ing and his disguise were perfect. The farm-houses were 
situated at shorter intervals. Edinburgh was ahead of 
him. With a sigh of relief he entered to find the inn of 
The Thistle. 

When he reached the inn he sat down in one of the 
seats that was severely hard. Evidently my landlord did 
not encourage idling by placing cushions on the chairs. 
He was thoroughly tired. Rest on any piece of furniture 
was a luxury. He noted everything around him. The 
rubicund visage of the landlord was a study as he stood 
behind the bar and waited on the thirsty, while the pen- 
nies and hapennies dropped into the till. With wonder- 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


219 


fill regularity he noticed that the eyes of mine host were 
directed his way more than once, but he (the caterer) 
was so busy that he had not the time to come from behind 
his counter. 

The proprietor’s rough language was not of the choic- 
est. The gestures that accompanied the words were even 
more violent than the epithets. “Thou vagabond, find 
thee work and earn thy living like an honest man. Get 
out of my inn ; take thee to the country from whence 
thou earnest. Be off with thee!” 

“Thou art mistaken, landlord, I did but come in to rest. 
I am a gentleman. When my hat is on my head my house 
is thatched. The papering on the walls of my house is 
blue, with golden stars for a background ; my table is 
the earth, and thou settest none better; my ale runneth 
to waste from the mountain streams, and to my house 
thou comest when thou diest.” 

“A pert laddie thou art. Thy tongue is as glib as the 
wag of a dog’s tail. A nice gentleman thou art in thy 
rags and dirt. Hast thou naught better to say, then get 
out! begone!” 

“Thou are not going to throw me out into the street 
because I am poor? Beshrew thee, man, for thy want of 
hospitality.” Carl gave the royalist sign, yet did he not 
relax the wagging of his tongue for a moment. 

“Angel thou art, indeed,” exclaimed the boniface. “The 
holes in thy coat hide not thy wings ; my heart relenteth. 
Do but split me some wood and thou hast a meal that will 
tickle thy ribs with fatness. Follow me.” 

When they had reached the woodpile the landlord’s 
manner changed. He grasped the small hand of Carl in 
his big fat one, and said : “I knew thee when thou didst 
enter my inn. The harsh words were but to deceive 


220 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


those around us that have the eye of a lynx. Hast thou 
the papers?’' 

“Yes, but how will I reach the interior of the castle. 
I am commanded to place these documents in the King’s 
own hands, else they go not out from my possession. 
Dost blame me for the thinking?” 

“All has been arranged for thee, laddie, so fret not 
thyself.” 

“I must stand in the presence of the young King with- 
out arousing suspicion of the Calvanistic cerberus that 
makes his reign a mockery. Gain thou me admission to 
the royal kitchen and the thing is done.” 

“Thy wit is wondrous. Thou hast the thought that 
was in my mind. The cook to His Majesty is true to 
King Charles as thyself, and if thy wit take thee not into 
the palace then am I a loon.” 

Carl passed unchallenged into the rear of the castle 
and then sought the kitchen. He recognized the man he 
wanted to meet. The royal purveyor ordered the sub- 
waiters here and there as one accustomed to authority. 
The disguised officer moved over to where this chef was 
standing and began tasting of every dish within reach 
of his hands. 

“What meanest thou, thou graceless vagabond.^ Wot 
ye not that it is for the King. The guards shall belabor 
thy back for the insolence.” 

“Your pardon, sirs, I did but tickle my palate with 
luxuries that make His Grace’s stomach a hotbed of 
misery. No bad grace to thy art. I will e’en see the 
King and make petition that I may be his royal taster, 
for very fear that Arminian food and Episcopal pabulum 
might demoralize His Grace’s stomach to the detriment of 
Presbyterianism.” 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


221 


“Thou art as pert a knave as e're went unhanged. 
Some good rope is spoiling for the stretching.” 

“P'irst let me eat in kings’ houses, then have thy will 
and be hanged. How eats a king? and with what grace 
receives he such toothsome fare?” 

“Thou shalt serve him with thy beggarly hands, but 
not in such a garb. Go to yon room with the door open ; 
there thou wilt find such as thou seest we wear. Make 
the change quickly and come thou to me.” 

Carl put on the garb as he was directed and stood 
before the chef, ready for his turn. With a well-filled tray 
he entered the magnificent hall where the King was sur- 
rounded by his court, although the court was not 
selected to his liking. The royal personage sat in moody 
silence and ate little. When the previous course was re- 
moved, Carl advanced and placed the dishes in such a 
position that the unhappy monarch understood the sign, 
yet it was unintelligible to those who sat watching him. 

The King, with pretended anger, exclaimed : “Return 
this dish ; it is cold. I’ll have none of it ; give it sufficient 
heat that I may enoy it.” 

“You Majesty’s orders shall be obeyed.” 

When Carl returned to the chief cook he delivered the 
message of the King in a jocular manner that had a hid- 
den meaning. This dispenser of royal fare knew that 
this lad had been partially successful. In a more amiable 
tone of voice he queried: 

“Well, thou malapert ; didst thou see a king eat. His 
appetite is as capricious as the favor of a maiden. And 
he swore not at thee ? Thy star is yet to rise. I’ll well be- 
sworn thou hast gentle blood in thy veins, for thou show- 
est thy bringing up. Return to him ; mayhap this cook- 
ery will be more to His Grace’s liking.” 


222 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


The most difficult part was yet to be enacted. Carl 
wished to breathe into the King’s ear the password that 
was known to the two kings and himself. The careful 
manner in which every movement of this young monarch 
was guarded puzzled the lad. When he stood by the side 
of Scotland’s ruler, he intentionally dropped one of the 
dishes that fell to the floor with a crash. While he stooped 
to pick up the pieces he gave the password so adroitly 
that the spies seated next to the royal personage did not 
suspect that a plot was being hatched under their noses. 

“Thou negligent varlet,” His Highness muttered in 
anger, “another inch and my costliest silken doublet were 
ruined. Be thou more careful in the bringing or back 
thou goest to rural living from whence thou earnest. Stay, 
my good fellow, art thou nimble of foot?” 

Carl exhibited extreme embarrassment in his demeanor, 
as he replied: “Fairly so, your Majesty;” then he looked 
at the broken bits and continued : “A pretty mess, this ; 
a half crown would not repay the loss, and I had not 
earned so much in a month.” 

“Parley not with me, fellow, but do as thou art bid.” 
The King handed the slip of paper to an elderly man with 
an austere countenance and said: “Seest thou aught 
that would bring harm to thy cause in this bit of paper ?” 
The missive was returned without comment, then Carl 
hurried away, using extreme dispatch. In three-quarters 
of an hour he entered the dining hall breathing hard. 
Another spy on the unhappy ruler took the answer from 
the boy’s hand, read it carefully, and directed him to the 
office of state, where he found the King seated at his 
desk, his thoughts engrossed in the work before him. 

On one wing of the secretary was a number of folded 
documents bearing the great seal of state. 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


223 


Carl, with intentional awkwardness, caught his foot in 
a rug and fell forward to his knees, thus he overturned 
the file nearest to him. With his back to the wardens of 
Scotland he adroitly slipt the despatches that King 
Charles had placed in his possession in with the other 
papers and stood back from His Highness with an 
abashed air that left nothing to be desired in the way of 
acting. The King, with great ill-temper, fumed : “Thou 
varlet! dost expect me to pick them up. Down on thy 
knees and gather what thou hast dispersed. Then go 
and get thy discharge, Fll have none such around my 
person.” 

The crestfallen servitor withdrew to the cook-room, 
where he related to the chef the ill-luck that had befallen 
him. “Ill a day that I came into the palace of the King, 
for I did naught but stumble and fall down to His Grace’s 
.displeasure, and now he hath dismissed me in disgrace. 
But I have seen a monarch eat. The divine right of 
kings hath made no difference in the man. He is no bet- 
ter or no worse than myself. . If the clay that cometh from 
the moulder’s hands differeth aught from common clay 
then I know it not.” 

“Alack! and what hast thou done? Thou hast spoiled 
the making of as bonny a cook as ever turned a spit. Thy 
forwardness and wit had stood thee in hand for jester 
of the court, and make our good King laugh, that his 
digestion may be improved. Worry maketh every dainty 
that I prepare a befoulment to his stomach.” 

“Give me my rags that I may go hence. The hot air 
of diplomacy suiteth not the contentment that money can- 
not buy. Thou hast my thanks, good chef. The moun- 
tain air seemeth more to my taste.” Saying which he 
moved to the apartment where he put on his old suit and 


224 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


returned to the inn to relate the incidents as they oc- 
curred. 

“Ah, laddie, I see thy success in thine eyes. The bon- 
niest meal in all Scotland shall be thine. The softest bed 
in the inn shall rest thy body until the return despatches 
are in thy possession. Then thou must be off, and God’s 
care shall see thee safely to the end of thy journey.” 

“Thy good wishes shall make my journey hence a 
promise of success. Thou knowest it not, yet have four 
men been spitted like hares. God save the mark that I 
should be the fifth.” 

“Right well I ken that thou speakest the truth. Go to 
thy bed and sleep as one whose conscience hath not the 
sting of wrong-doing. I will arouse thee betimes that 
thou mayest have a bonny start.” 

Carl was conducted to his room by one of the servants. 
The face of this man did not bring assurance that all was 
right. His broad Scottish dialect smacked of the rankest 
enmity to the House of Stuarts, therefore his sleep was 
disturbed by the suspicions that crowded upon his brain. 
The middle watch of the night had come and gone. He 
was certain that some one was moving in the wide dark 
hall. The darkness made it impossible for him to see or 
be seen. He crept from the covering and made his way 
to the corner where his clothes were. Some force ap- 
peared to retain a hold on the garments. Perhaps they 
were held fast by rounds of the high-back old-fashioned 
chair. From the pocket of that part of his trousers that 
was in his hand he drew his keen-bladed knife and cut 
at random at the obstacle that proved to be a man’s hand. 
A howl of pain from the intruder, a hurried exit from the 
house and all was still again. 

If the landlord had heard the noise he passed the inci- 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


225 


dent by as he would some drunken brawl. He did not 
mention the subject to the young man as he came lightly 
up to the bed and aroused the sleeper. It was the fourth 
hour in the morning. The host whispered : “Arouse thee, 
laddie, ’tis time for thee to be on thy journey. Here is 
the package that thou art to deliver to good King Charles. 
Here is the bonniest brace of pistols that ever burned 
powder. Thou wilt need them. Here is a ring that His 
Majesty sent thee as a remembrance for thy kindly act. 
Dress quickly and go.” 

“Good-bye, thou of the sign of The Thistle. I shall not 
forget thee quickly. If I do then perish my name.” As 
he said this he moved rapidly through the streets out 
into the country and bore well to the westward, because 
it was a road that was least traveled. The stars sparkled 
in their cold brightness ; the frosty air gave a speedier 
movement to his legs ; thus with a steady, swinging gait 
he was miles away from Edinburgh ere the sun was well 
up in the sky. 

The ravines and hilly ruggedness of the route were 
chances in his favor. Thus far he had met no traveler, 
coming or going. His thoughts were his happiest com- 
panions. He pictured to his mind the prestige the ad- 
venture would give to him in the opinion of Florette. The 
ring that King James sent him was crowned with the 
royal coat of arms. In his joy he kissed the bauble that 
would advance him in the court of King Charles, and also 
advance his wooing at Ashton Park. With these happy 
hopes crowding his brain he sped swiftly along. Now 
and then the faintest sounds of footsteps came to his 
ears. 

Pie halted and listened. Perhaps the sound was the 
echo of his footsteps. He moved forward a bit. Again 


225 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


he heard the ominous warning. He crept into a hollow 
at one side of the highway and waited for the travelers 
to come up. He grasped firmly his pistols and moved 
farther into the vast lonely forest, where he waited 
patiently for the day to close. Fortunately the days were 
at their shortest and night drew on again. He pulled off 
his shoes. This was a wise precaution ; although the hard 
road hurt his feet, it gave him the advantage that he ap- 
preciated. He stuffed some of his rags into the bottom 
of his stockings and pushed forward. 

Ten leagues had been placed behind him. The most 
dangerous part of his trip was ahead of him. With his 
sense of sight and hearing painfully acute he crept to the 
protection of a sheltering rock. The sound of voices were 
not a score of paces from him. He redoubled his precau- 
tion and followed the same direction until the red glare 
of fire was reflected from the pines and spruces on the 
mountain side. He glided cautiously forward and saw 
two pickets seated around a small blaze that the dead 
limbs of the forest furnished for the gathering. Their 
guns were leaning against a tree at some distance from 
them. The words they spoke made him shiver. With 
all of the secrecy of the landlord and his acting (Carl’s 
acting) the interchange of despatches was known to the 
Roundheads. One of the pickets said : 

“Si, the wit of this young heathen royalist is a seven 
days’ wonder. He hath outwitted the craftiest man in 
Scotland and now returneth to London with the papers 
that General Monk must take from this messenger. The 
guards have been stationed thickly along the route. I 
will well be sworn that he escapeth us not this time.” 

Carl was within ten feet of the soldiers. He aimed a 
steady aim. A flame leapt from the muzzle of his pistol ; 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


227 


a bullet crashed into the brain of one of them. He 
placed the barrel of the other pistol to the forehead of 
the other soldier and said in a low, stern tone of voice : 
“Give me the password or thou diest.’^ The suddenness 
of the attack wrenched the word from the soldier’s mouth 
ere he bethought him to give a false password. “Now, 
tell me thy name and the number of thy troop or it goeth 
ill with thee. Give me the name of thy captain.” 

Carl was loth to kill this man, but his life and safety 
were the price of liberty, and the second soldier lay dead 
at his feet. 

Carl reloaded the pistols and drew from the dead man 
his uniform. The change was quickly made. Equipped 
as a soldier of Cromwell he strode to the highway and 
walked briskly for the space of three hours. He was 
halted eight times, but the word was given and he passed 
onwards to Northumberland. He was anxious to reach 
his cousin’s house ere the death of the two pickets would 
be known. When daylight dawned he was crossing the 
line that divided England from Scotland. 

He turned into the long avenue that led to his aunt’s 
house and was on to an officer of Cromwell ere he could 
retreat. A stern command to halt rang out on the crisp 
morning air. The officer seeing his uniform, said : 
“What command dost thou belong to?” 

Carl touched his hat just as the roundhead soldiers did, 
and replied : “Captain Moulton’s, sir.” 

“Where are they?” 

“On the other side of the border.” 

“It is well thou art here. I have unearthed a nest of 
treason that harmeth the Lord Protector more than I can 
tell thee. Follow me. The number on thy hat is 823.” 

When they came into the house Carl perceived his 


228 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


aunt and her daughter were bound hand and foot. They 
were tied to the massive furniture. 

“Remain here until thou art relieved. I will not be 
long absent.” This the officer said as he rode away, fol- 
lowed by the sentinel. 

When they were out of sight Carl drew his knife across 
the cords that bound them. While he was doing this he 
exclaimed : 

“Knowest thou not Peter. Give me my uniform 
quickly. Order my horse at once, we have not a moment 
to lose. Have thy horses also saddled; no time for ex- 
planation or thanks. Pick thy best and mount thy fleetest 
i^teeds, for by my faith, thou wilt need them.” 

The change was speedily made. Without taking even 
their jewels, the ladies accompanied by Carl rode at a 
break-neck speed until a safe distance was reached. Then 
they slackened rein while Carl related the events that hap- 
pened in as brief a manner as possible. The young offi- 
cer’s ears, which were accustomed to danger, heard a 
sound in his rear that startled him. “We are pursued,” 
he exclaimed, with some nervousness. “Spur thy steeds 
to the full. Let them not gain upon us. It were a pity 
to be captured now, with the goal almost within sight.” 

“Knowest thou, Carl, who that stern officer is? It is 
General Monk. If we fall into his hands we can expect 
no mercy.” 

“Carl, my animal giveth out. He hath not breath 
enough to carry me a league. Go thou on and leave 
mother and myself to our fate. I know that thou bearest 
despatches to the King. What are the lives of two women 
to the importance of thy mission?” 

“Say not so, my fair cousin ; dismount thee quickly and 
I will bear thee behind me. I am unworthy the name of 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


229 


man should I forsake thee now.” The time they lost was 
fatal. They could hear the clatter of cavalry draw 
nearer. “There are a round four score of General Monk’s 
troopers behind us. Take courage, we will soon be with 
our own.” 

“Not so, Carl, we have twenty leagues to ride ere we 
will be saved. This devil knoweth not fear, and his is a 
will of iron that cannot be bended. Ride thou ahead and 
we will make such speed as we may.” 

While they were yet speaking the head of the column 
swung around the turn of the highway and came on with 
a tremendous gallop. 

“We are lost,” the fugitives exclaimed in a breath. 
“Seest thou the dust ahead of us ? Ride with a firm seat 
into the advancing column. They may give way,” 
shouted Carl to his companions as they spurred their 
jaded horses forward. 

Carl clenched his teeth and gazed gloomily at the 
troopers in front of him. Then he gave a great shout 
and waved his hat. “Take these despatches; if I should 
fall, deliver them to King Charles. That is my troop. 
Go to the rear for I will give battle.” 

Another moment and the young captain was among his 
soldiers. He wheeled his mare. His voice rang out like 
the notes of a clarion: “Follow me; General Monk is 
before us, dishonor behind us ; down with the enemies of 
the King!” 

A wild yell answered this appeal. The ground trem- 
bled as the approaching squadrons came together with a 
dreadful shock. The flashing of swords, the pistol shots, 
the hand-to-hand combats, the groans of the dying, the 
riderless steeds, the cleft skulls made a ghastly picture 
of war. The impetuous charge of the cavaliers dismayed 


230 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


the enemy. The fight was ended, the pursuers became the 
pursued. The recall was sounded. Carl, at the head of 
his troops, was animated and joyous as he asked: 

“By what good fortune didst thou arrive in the nick of 
time. Another mile and I would have been in the hands 
of that fanatic that thinketh no more of burning one than 
thou wouldst think of spitting a hare.” 

“It was by order of the King, my captain. Thy fame 
is made. The favor of royalty is not to be refused, al- 
though our cause goeth to defeat with a hasty speed that 
seemeth untimely.” 

“Take thou the troop to the barracks. I will give atten- 
tion to these helpless females that came under the dire 
displeasure of -General Monk because of their loyalty to 
King Charles.” 

Turning to his newly found relatives, he said : “Hast 
thou friends in this great city, I will take thee to them; 
and if thou hast none then thou wilt be welcome to such 
as we have ; poor though it be, thou art welcome.” 

Carl placed his aunt and cousin in the humble dwelling 
of the alchemist, nor waited to see the welcome they re- 
ceived. A page from the court came hastily to him, and 
said: “The King desireth thy presence at once. Lose 
no time.” 

Carl answered: “It were unseemly that I should ap- 
pear before His Majesty begrimed with the dust and 
smoke of battle. Wait thee a time with patience, and I 
will make such preparation as seemeth best.” 

“Tut ! tut ! stand not on such trifles. King Charles will 
ne’er see thy uniform. A troubled brain is not over punc- 
tilious when such results are at stake. Follow me by the 
near way.” 

He followed the page, entered the palace, and stood 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


231 


before His Grace, who made bold to say: “Well, my 
young cavalier, hast thou won our royal good will by the 
charm of success?” 

“And it please Your Majesty, these despatches be my 
answer. This ring that hath the coat of arms engraven 
thereon was my reward for the little that I have done.” 

“God wot but thou art a comely lad. No fortune is 
too good for thee, since thy bravery put to shame the 
deeds of older heads. I am King only in name. The 
laws of Parliament have robbed me of a sovereign’s 
right. The pittance that is doled out to me would not 
repay the smallest part of thy service. Thus does a Stuart 
reward the brave.” After the speech the King placed the 
emblazoned ring upon Carl’s first finger and dismissed 
him. 

The proud youth hurried to his mother to tell of his 
good fortune. When he had kissed her a dozen of times 
he joyously exclaimed: “Rejoice with me, thou idol of 
my heart ; see the royal rings that honor me. In honoring 
me they honor thee. Ne’er did I expect to see thee 
again.” 

Looking around the room the alchemist’s son inquired : 
“Where be the ones that I brought hither? I see them 
not; had they not assisted me, my mission would have 
ended in failure.” 

“They sought lodgings elsewhere. How inscrutable 
are the ways of destiny, my son. There are those that 
forge the two-edged sword blade that destroyeth the 
maker thereof.” 

“What is the meaning of thy speech, my mother ; those 
that I brought here are penniless ; how could they secure 
lodgings ?” 

“My son, I cannot tell thee now. Destiny must weave 


232 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


its own loom. Family troubles that have been buried for 
years are the prices thou dost pay for thy civility. Say no 
more until events develop.” 

These sayings went to the heart of Carl, yet asked he no 
further questions. He noted the pallor on the face of 
his mother. Then the thought came to him that the stran- 
gers were homeless. For this reason he spoke thus : 
“Where dwell they? I must hand them some gold sov- 
ereigns that they may not want for something to eat.” 

“Promise me that thou wilt not see them again.” Carl 
would have questioned her further were it not for an un- 
expected interruption. A young girl came to his side 
and said: “Art thou Carl, the alchemist’s son? If thou 
art, follow me to thy aunt’s, who would have speech with 
thee.” 

“Thou art fatigued, little one; mount thee behind me 
and we will be there ere thou canst count a hundred.” 
By direction of the child he reached the cottage that was 
severe in its simplicity. The surroundings indicated a 
lack of home comfort that was apparent. He dismounted, 
helped the child to dismount and entered. His astonish- 
ment was great when he stood before an aged woman 
who shrilly piped: “Art thou Carl, the alchemist’s son, 
and are thy parents living in London ? Thy fame reached 
my ears even in this remote corner of the city. I would 
see thy father, for he is a just man, and doeth that which 
is right. Neither careth he for any man’s opinion. Tell 
me where thou dwellest that I may visit thee and thine.” 

“The child knoweth right well the place where we 
abide. She will show thee the way with a right good 
grace. I ken that mother will be glad to meet thee after 
the lapse of so many years.” 

“I ken not that which thou sayest is true, my nephew. 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


233 


At least I will be near to thee that I may use thy father’s 
knowledge ; for I have sore need of the chemist’s skill to 
the betterment of my reason.” 

“I know not whereof thou speakest, but come as thou 
wilt thou shalt be welcome.” Having closed the inter- 
view he rode leisurely home with his brain filled with the 
strangeness of existence. When he met his mother he 
gave her a description of his visit in this wise: ‘T have 
found for thee another sister. Such is the price of fame, 
as thou seest. She did not know that thou hadst moved 
to London. A frown wrinkled her brow at the mention 
of thy name. She hath a sour look that sat illy perched 
upon my good graces.” 

“My son, thou gathereth dead men’s bones ; thou bring- 
eth back the unhappy past for the undoing of us all. Thou 
shalt know later. Go thy way while destiny weaveth on 
her loom. I moved to Dantima to get away from her. 
I fear her and her influence for evil.” 

Carl remained silent after this partial explanation. The 
paleness of his mother’s face silenced the queries that 
were on his lips. There was a tender yearning expression 
on her countenance as she gazed wistfully at him which 
smote him sharply. For this reason he returned to bar- 
racks filled with doubts as to the general fitness of results 
to the end to be obtained. 

His newly found aunt lost not a moment, but placed 
her wraps around her, for the air was chilly. Her blood 
was thin and old, yet not old enough to conquer the re- 
venge that she had nursed for years. She knew she 
would not be welcome, yet she intruded, because a 
thought had taken possession of her mind. Little atten- 
tion she paid to the slights that she received from Carl’s 
mother. Her time was spent with the alchemist in the 


234 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


little back room that he used as a laboratory. She did 
not stay with the family, but rented a house that was in 
the neighborhood. 

She was fascinated with the adroitness of this patient 
chemist, who could make every substance but the pre- 
cious metals. For a fortnight she frequented the cottage ; 
growing more bold, she made haste to place in the chem- 
ist’s hands a glass box, yet told she him not the nature 
of the contents. 

“My brother, tell to me, is there poison in this sub- 
stance? For a life dependeth on thy answer.” The 
chemist knowing naught of the nature of the trouble, 
answered : 

“My sister, from whence obtained thou this?” 

“A noted leech gave it to me. I have had it in my pos- 
session for these many years. The savant that gave it 
to me is dead. I shall note what thou doest with all care ; 
for the love thou bearest for thy mother be truthful in 
this thing, and God will bless thee.” 

Her deep-set eyes glared fixedly at every movement of 
this learned man, who used his reagents with such skill 
that he reached a result that startled him. In his wonder- 
ment he turned to her and said : “There is arsenic enough 
in this substance to kill a company of Cromwell’s 
troopers.” 

“Hadst thou said King Charles’ troopers, thou hadst 
spoken properly.” A groan escaped from her thin, color- 
less lips as the words of the chemist came home to her 
heart. She moaned : “ ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth 
for a tooth,’ so sayeth the holy writ.” Without so much 
as a parting word or thanks for the service performed, 
she departed as quickly as she came. ’Twas not the want 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


235 


of politeness that hastened her footsteps, but a desire to 
do Carl a service. 

She directed her way to the barracks, where she found 
her nephew surrounded by his men. He was directing 
them while they polished the brass buckles of their belts 
and brightened the steel of their blades. He advanced to 
where she was standing and addressed her thus : “Some- 
thing serious has happened. I pray thee to tell me 
quickly, that I may know at once.” 

“It is to save thee from danger that I journeyed hither. 
List to the words of caution from my lips. Remain thou 
in thy quarters. The onslaught that thou madest on Gen- 
eral Monk is likely to bring thee trouble. Two spies 
came to my home, all the way from the border. They 
with others seek to trap thee. Now, thou knowest my 
errand. Again I warn thee to be wary. If thou goest 
out have thy soldiers with thee. Nay, laugh not, Carl, the 
danger is real enough.” Having thus delivered herself 
of the information she departed to her home. 

“Humiliated pride is stronger than the walls of Lon- 
don,” he said. His good resolution melted before the 
thoughtlessness of youth. He, fearing naught, saddled 
his steed and rode to Ashton Park. He could not have 
gone to a more dangerous locality, because it was out- 
side the walls of the city and in the direction of North- 
umberland. With a cheery good day to the gatekeeper of 
the park he passed on to the mansion. He did not note 
the scowl on the porter’s face, because his heart was 
filled with love for Florette. 

Alas for the fickleness of love. Florette, while she had 
not forgotten the King’s messenger, yet was she dallying 
with a feeling that was dangerous. The rapid advance- 
ment of Carl, the military dash of his bearing, together 


236 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


with the flight of time, weakened the flame that distance 
was gradually smothering. Thus matters stood at this 
time. 

When he bade them good night, they invited him to re- 
main and ride back in the morning, but he gently pleaded 
a sense of duty. With a light heart he cantered up the 
road to London, heedless of the danger that followed him 
in the shape of a two-wheeled cart that kept within easy 
reach of the horseman. When the darker streets of the 
city were reached, a hand grasped his bridle bit with such 
force that it threw his mare on her haunches. A blow 
on the head rendered the rider insensible. When his 
senses returned he was lying on the bottom of a jolting 
cart. His mouth was securely bandaged, that he might 
make no outcry. There was straw above him, enough to 
conceal his person from those that might pass the cart 
on the highway. 

The halts were few. The stout horses that were har- 
nessed tandem were given water and feed. Thus the 
long, rough hours passed with Carl, who was as help- 
less as an infant. The vehicle came to an abrupt stop with 
a suddenness that jammed his head against the tailboard. 
He was lifted out as if he were a bag of meal, and trans- 
ferred to the ivy-covered cottage of his other aunt; the 
cottage upon which the humiliated general had vented 
all of the sanctimonious hatred that had a thousand devils 
in every graven image. 

The gag was removed from his mouth, his cramped 
limbs were freed from the bonds that stopped his circula- 
tion. With a soldier on each side, he was conducted to a 
secluded part of the forest situated back of the cottage, 
where General Monk established his camp. Horses were 
picketed around, and the carbines of the troopers were 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


237 


slung to their saddle bows. He passed several groups 
of these and stood in the presence of the general, who 
was seated on a log. His features were sharply drawn. 
The look that was in his eyes boded little good to the 
prisoner. This made Carl more defiant as he looked 
steadfastly at his judge, who was perhaps to be his execu- 
tioner. Carl exclaimed in a firm tone of voice: 

“ ’Twas a cowardly thing to do, and still more cowardly 
done. If ’twas according to thy order, then a blush of 
shame should mantle thy cheeks, thou iron-hearted man, 
that hath no shade of pity in thy soul.” 

If the general heeded this tirade his features never be- 
trayed an emotion as he sternly said : “Prisoner, stand 
forth, thou art accused of bearing despatches to the King 
of Scotland, thou art accused of bearing despatches from 
the King of Scotland to ungodly King Charles, what hath 
thou to say of thyself. Remember, thy life is the forfeit 
thou payest for thy silence, so speak out that it may go 
well with thee.” 

“Am I one, thinkest thou, that would be likely to be- 
tray a trust? If thou even thinkest so much, then will I 
hang my head in shame. I wot not why thou shouldst 
be guardian of the border; thou art a usurper and an 
outlaw against the lawful authority of good King 
Charles.” 

“Make thee more civil speech, thou son of Belzebub, 
or thou shalt have a strap upon thy bare back delivered 
by one who knoweth right well how to lay the blows 
thereon.” Then he continued: “Whom didst thou re- 
ceive assistance from in the godly city of Edinburgh? 
Didst thou deliver the package to the King in person or 
through a third party? If so, who was this third party? 
Seest thou yon preparation? It meaneth much for thee. 


238 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


Yet the thoughtlessness of thy youth pleadeth for mercy, 
which thou shalt have if thou wilt disclose what is in thy 
mind; then thou goest thy way to London, undisturbed; 
thou art a bonny youth, and wise beyond thy years, 
though thou fightest in an ungodly cause.” 

“Thinkest thou that a trust like that would be betrayed ? 
then would I be a traitor to my King. Do with me as 
thou pleaseth; I am helpless and in thy power. To thee 
and all the world my lips are sealed.” 

‘T will give thee another day that wisdom may dictate 
to thee what thou shouldst do on the morrow. Confine 
him in yon treasonable pile, place thou a score of sentinels 
about the house that he may not escape, for he hath the 
daring of a freebooter and the cunning of a fox, and, hark 
ye, should he be gone on the morrow, make thy prayers, 
for thy stay on earth will be short.” 

He sat in his room and could hear the psalm-singers 
as they paced about his prisor with measured tread. He 
could hear them as they changed their reliefs ; the 
thought of the morrow made his soul heavy; the bright 
dreams that made his marriage with Florette a certainty 
vanished in the gloom of the present. He was keenly 
alive to the situation. A touch on his shoulder made 
him spring to his feet; the hand of a woman led him 
whither he knew not; he was content to follow where 
hope gently led the way. 

It was so dark that he could not perceive an object in 
the apartment. With difficulty he squeezed through a 
narrow opening; then he walked sidewise for some dis- 
tance until he descended a flight of steps, where a tallow 
dip was burning. By its light he recognized his aunt 
and cousin, the ones he rescued from the clutches of 
General Monk. 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


239 


“God bless thee for this, thou angels of deliverance, 
how is it that I find thee here, surrounded by danger, 
when thou shouldst be in London?” 

“Seek not to know what is beyond thy years. Thy 
mother gave me but a sorry welcome, as I had not that 
which would purchase bread. We returned to find the 
house intact and Peter in charge. As thou seest, the walls 
are hollow and filled with secret passages. It is to this 
fact that thou owest thy life. We are in the bowels of 
the earth and safer than we would be in London. There 
is an underground way that leadeth to the thicket beyond ; 
there thou wilt be safe from pursuit, for only hares find 
lodgment there. But hurry not hence for a week, if thou 
valuest thy liberty.” 

“Verily was I a fool, else had I not been in such a 
stress. By the success that crowned my efforts, found I 
another aunt that I knew naught of, who told me of the 
danger, and I repaid her kindness by being an ass.” 

“Of which aunt speaketh thou? The one that readeth 
her Bible, and yet hath more rancor in her heart than a 
deadly serpent? I would that she were dead, for her 
tongue is tipped with the gall of bitterness. She con- 
tinually repeated!, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for 
a tooth.’ Oh ! Carl, she is a dreadful woman that reapeth 
where she hath not sown. A judgment must come to her 
for the evil she hath wrought.” 

“I loiew naught of her. She came to my father with 
a glass box wherein was a substance that he, with rare 
skill, analyzed. It proved to be arsenic, a most deadly 
poison. She warned me of the danger from my bor- 
der foes. As thou seest, I am again thy guest. Thanks be 
to God, it is so, for yon barbarian had a stake and fagots 
ready for my burning, and instruments of torture that 
would force the secret of my adventure from me.” 


240 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


“There is trouble ahead for us all since this woman 
lives. I marvel that thy father humored her in this, since 
he knoweth who she is.” 

“Hast thou aught to eat? My ride under the straw in 
the cart hath jolted an appetite into my stomach that a 
plowman would envy.” 

“It is cold food that I give to thee, Carl. We dare not 
make a fire, for such would betray us. I charge thee to 
go not hence for one week. The soldiers do scour the 
country for thee. Peter will tell thee when the danger is 
passed. When thou goest, we will go. We have secured 
our valuables and will be dependent on no one.” 

“It seemeth to me,” Carl replied, “ that thou couldst 
find shelter at the Widow Deycourt’s. She liveth at Ash- 
ton Park and hath ample means. A gentler soul ne’er 
lived. Right royal will be thy welcome.” 

“Where is the duchess that formerly owned the estate ? 
It has been years since I had tidings of her.” 

“She fled to France. She is living in a chateau near 
Paris. She had no title to the estate. Through the 
favoritism of King Charles was she sustained.” 

“Sayest thou so. This dampness affecteth me sorely. 
Stay thou with Ella until my return. I will make report 
to thee of the rage of General Monk. When he findeth 
thou hast gone he will burn the cottage down. But fear 
not, the walls are thick. The secret passageways will not 
be discovered, because they are too deeply imbedded in 
the walls.” 

A week passed by, yet were they prisoners in their sub- 
terranean retreat ; neither was the mansion burned. 
Peter reported that the Roundheads had been recalled 
and were on the other side of the border. 

When darkness was well advanced the little cavalcade 
journeyed to London, where they separated. 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


241 


CHAPTER XVII. 

^ THE king's messenger SEEKING PETRA — A FIGHT WITH 
TPIE BEDOUINS. 

Sir Jasper moved from the grove to the gulf beach, 
thence along the shore line to the broad, flat-bottomed 
boat. He was the first to embark. When his animals 
were on the ship he again became the deaf mute, and 
Callisto was a beardless youth. The noisy, jostling crowd 
hastened to the landing. When the boat was filled the 
craft pushed from shore, leaving a howling throng that 
waited for the return trip with impatience. 

The disguised travelers stood by the side of the guards, 
which consisted of a low railing that enclosed the deck. 
While Sir Jasper was watching the sailors hoist the mut- 
ton-shaped sail, Callisto was watching the shore. 

She pulled the sleeve of her companion’s Turkish 
jacket, and pointed to land. A hundred dark forms en- 
circled the oasis. They glided from bush to tree with the 
stealthiness of jackals. The distance from shore made 
them look like a nest of black ants that had been dis- 
turbed. Then the picture grew so dim that they could no 
longer perceive objects. As they were under observation, 
he made signs with his fingers while the voyagers looked 
on with amused interest. 

“Callisto,” he said in a whisper, that was made more 
with the lips than with his breath. “I should have taken 
thy advice and killed them all. I can understand the 
hatred of these fanatics, because they are fatalists. The 
Mohammedan religion promiseth eternal bliss to those 


242 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


that fall in the faith. I fear me much they will pursue us 
when we least expect it.” 

“Have no fears, thou heart of my heart. I see by the 
sun that we are traveling away from the direction they 
took. We are nearing Yenibo, which thou seest in the 
distance.” She fixed her eyes on a bird that sailed ma- 
jestically over their heads. “Seest thou yon messenger 
of the sky? It circleth closer at every round. What can 
it mean?” 

“It meaneth misfortune for me, thou faithful one. 
Would that I could strangle the ill-fated thing ere it 
alights on my shoulder. It belongeth to the cursed letter.” 
When he had ended the conversation he drew nearer to 
the people that crowded the long and narrow deck. He 
tried this ruse in hopes that he might bring confusion to 
the soaring bird. Not for an instant did it waver, as it 
alighted with a ruffled flutter on the nobleman’s shoulder. 
He stroked the satin smoothness of its plumage, until the 
bird uttered a weird note and circled upwards till it was 
a dark point in the sky. 

“Didst thou note the direction? It flew towards 
Mecca.” She said this with an awed tone of voice that 
she tried to conceal from Sir Jasper. When they reached 
the little port that nestled on the gulf, the donkeys re- 
ceived the attention that royalty would be proud to re- 
ceive. A carpet of many colors was spread for them to 
walk upon. As the traveler and his companion passed 
across the bow of the boat to the landing place, the people 
prostrated themselves in two rows with their foreheads 
to the sand. The King’s messenger could have kicked 
them from his pathway as so much superstitious rubbish. 

“Callisto,” he said, “use thy wits, for we want no more 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


243 


of the past. Bethink thee of some expediency that will 
get us away from this hole of a town.” 

“Shall I tell to these Mohammedans that thou art a 
prophet of old that visiteth the tomb of Allah’s chosen? 
For in this deception lies our safety now, and thou, light 
of my eyes, shalt go on thy way unmolested.” 

“Tell them anything, for time presses me sorely, and the 
goal is far from this cursed spot.” 

With a wave of her hand she directed their attention 
to herself, and in a clear voice she shouted : “Allah is 
God. He speaketh by the mouth of his servant. Who 
is greater than Allah ? His servant speaketh thus : ‘His 
prophet shall visit in peace the tomb of Mohammed, the 
beloved of Islam. Whoso layeth hands on him shall be 
accursed. Whoso layeth hands upon his servant shall also 
be accursed.’ Allah hath spoken, hear ye his word.” 

The religious fervor gave place to respectful attention 
as they entered the unhealthy city where filth and un- 
cleanliness was poisoning the air. When the two 
travelers were alone and secure from interruption, he said 
to her : “Heaven sent thee to me, thou treasure that gold 
cannot rob me of. I had been in a sorry plight with these 
fanatics but for thy ready wit.” 

“Light of my eyes,” she replied, “ let me instruct thee 
further. Thou must know that a prophet should have an 
austere bearing. This thou hast not. Gaze thou heaven- 
ward with thine eyes fixed on space. Should they seek 
speech with thee, still meditate, and notice them not, for 
familiarity with the thing we worship breedeth contempt. 
For this reason a prophet hath little honor in his own 
country.” 

“Thy words are words of wisdom as they that come 
from the lips of a babe. Let me embrace thee and place 


244 . 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


the kiss of love on thy brow, whose sense shameth the 
little that God gave to me.” 

When they walked forth at the evening hour, the faith- 
ful heard the cry of “Allah il Allah” from the city gate. It 
was the hour of prayer. Callisto’s advice was strictly 
followed. It was well that she had thus admonished him, 
because a fellah, who was a skeptic, made light of his 
pretentions. The former reverence gave place to scowl- 
ing looks. “Callisto, thy charm from danger worketh 
not a benefit. Here is one who hath sense above his re- 
ligion. I could shake him by the hand for the boldness 
of his speech. Yet must we do something or we are lost. 
Decide thou quickly, thou love of my heart.” 

“To the mosque; at once prostrate thy person as thou 
hast done at former altars. The letter on thy breast wilt 
save thee.” 

They entered alone. The crowd of worshipers fell 
back until the so-called prophet and his servant had passed 
up the aisle. Callisto knelt as became a servant of Allah. 
He advanced and prostrated his body thrice before the 
shrine and disclosed for a moment the burning letter 
that cast a weird light upon the koran as it lay (imbedded 
on a cushion of satin) upon the altar. The watchful 
brothers at Dantima chanted louder than was their wont. 
The rich harmony rolled in a continuous stream through 
the temple. His voice answered the strains, and all was 
still again. 

The effect on the multitude was wonderful. As the 
faithful passed out the turbans that bound their heads 
were removed and spread on the sand, that his feet might 
not touch such a vulgar thing as the soil of the earth. 
The one who was a skeptic was taken without the walls, 
where the bastinado cured his unbelief. When they were 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


245 


in their quarters he embraced the girl and said : “If it is 
the will of this people that I be a follower of Islam, who 
shall say me nay. Thy good graces come as a benediction 
that maketh it so. What! thou weepest, my good girl? 
Nay, this must not be; let me wipe the tears from thy 
eyes, and thou wilt tell me as we are seated ’neath this 
giant palm.’’ 

“The moon cannot look upon the sun’s bright face and 
live. Something here tells me that thou art more than 
thou seemest. Thou hast not explained to me this western 
mystery that cometh from afar. It is as the music from 
Heaven, and I know not what thou sayest in thy prayer 
that causeth the mystery to cease.” 

He cast his eyes far o’er the sandy desolation. His 
thoughts were in Dantima. How many unanswered ques- 
tions came to him then. Florette, the idol of his love, was 
perhaps watching and waiting for her wandering lover. 
Perhaps someone more worthy of her affection had 
claimed her hand in marriage, and thus the years had 
mocked him with their mellowness. 

“Callisto,” he said, “thou hast asked me a question that 
I cannot answer. In my meditations I ask myself what 
mysterious power reacheth across the ocean with light- 
ning pulsations ; what flaming torch lighteth with un- 
earthly glow this baleful letter; what sound waves span 
oceans and continents to fill an Arabian mosque with soft 
and weird music. It is this that brings me hither. We 
will know when our journey is ended.” His head was 
inclined forward. Unconsciously he gazed down upon the 
upturned face that was waiting for an answer. Yet spake 
he naught to this terror-stricken maid. 

He brushed back from her forehead the short curling 
locks, and still the answer came not. “Poor child,” he 


246 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


exclaimed, “thou wilt wait long for me to tell to thee that 
which I do not know. What mattereth it since I love thee 
and thou lovest me.” Then while the stars beamed kindly 
upon them, he related the events in detail. The events 
that made him a wanderer on earth. 

“I will trust thee, thou sun of my existence,” she said, 
“yet something strangely moveth me to think that thou 
wilt be torn from me. Should this be, my soul will wan- 
der back to claim its own. I will be with thee always. 
I will be with thee in every corner of thy life. Thy 
heaven shall be Callisto’s heaven. Forever thou shalt be 
mine.” 

“This is the sacred hour of meditation. To-morrow, 
ere the sun be risen we will be on our journey. The way 
is long, with naught but the glare of the sand to blind 
our eyes, and our tongues will be parched with thirst. 
Thinkest thou, my loved one, thou canst bear up with all 
of these hardships? We have yet one hundred and forty- 
seven miles to traverse ere Medina is reached ; what sayest 
thou, Callisto?” 

“Be not discouraged. Allah hath provided for thee. 
Green spots are here and there where fresh, pure water is 
to be had. Where the grateful shade softeneth the sun’s 
red glare, ^t were well that we should buy another beast 
of burden, that the skins of water may be plentiful. 
Other food that we will need should also be added to our 
store.” 

“Thou hast not answered me, Callisto ; canst thou stand 
the fatigue of the journey? Thou art a weak woman, 
whose hardihood hath not been tried. Bethink thee of 
the dangers and privations that will attend thy going?” 

“What would my fate be shouldst thou leave me in 
this vile country? The harern of some rich Turk would 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


247 


be to me a lifelong prison. Thou canst not say me nay. 
Upon me dependeth thy success. Thou hast the strange 
eye that seeth afar; thou hast the little thing that telleth 
thee the way ; thou hast the long iron that belcheth flame 
and smoke. Who can harm thee?” 

“Thou art not only nly life but thou art my very wit. 
Go thou into the bazars and purchase what thou needest. 
Luck it was for us that the dead Englishman left us the 
gold sovereigns which we exchanged for this stuff that 
answered! marvelously well for our present needs.” 

The purchase of these necessities delayed the start. 
The sun was well up in the sky when they quitted the 
city, and they, guided by the compass, followed the route 
of the regular caravans to Medina. 

“Thou joy of my life,” Callisto exclaimed; “we will 
keep to the left of the main traveled road. It is safer. If 
the Bedouins attack us how can they stand before the 
thunder? If we pass to the westward we will avoid this 
danger, because these robbers of the desert haunt the trail 
where caravans mostly do venture.” 

When they had traveled a day’s journey they left the 
main road, yet kept they the general direction. The sun- 
shades that Callisto bought mitigated the heat of the sun's 
rays. The patient donkeys plodded along with some 
speed, because a simoon had denuded the surface of the 
shifting sand. For this reason they made thirty leagues 
ere the sun went down. The beasts needed rest, yet there 
was no oasis in sight. They spread their robes down on 
the sand and slept till the dawn was breaking. Venus 
was the morning star that shone in the clear sky with 
such unwonted splendor that it gave to the letter on his 
breast a strange influence ; yet told he not his companion 
because of the distress it would bring to her. 


248 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


Towards the sunset of the following day they again 
halted. There was naught around them but a dreary 
waste of sand. The sun rose in a bed of sand and set in 
a bed of sand; no vegetation relieved the dreariness of 
the scene excepting some stunted specie of cactus that the 
donkeys devoured greedily. This saved the water sup- 
ply to some extent. Thus they rested, while these 
hardy animals grazed upon this strange food. Sir Jasper 
took his spy-glass from its case, adjusted the sunshade, 
and swept the horizon in every direction. An exclamation 
of delight parted his lips. “Callisto,” he said, “I see a 
dark round object thirty miles away. It is an oasis. To- 
morrow at this hour we will repose in its green shade.’’ 

Ere dawn broke they pushed forward with eager pleas- 
ure. When they had approached within ten miles of this 
haven of rest Callisto warned him to again use the brass 
tube. 

“Seest thou aught of life in yon thicket?” she ex- 
claimed. “Beware, it may be the home of the Bedouins. 
I pray to Allah that no living thing dwelleth there.” 

He raised the glass to his eye and closely scanned the 
spot that looked so inviting to these tired travelers. ‘T 
see naught that is human,” he said. “The spot is free 
from danger.” When they reached the cooling shade 
and drank of the water he examined each foot of their 
little world. From the camel droppings he surmised it 
had been three years or more since any footsteps had in- 
truded. He made another discovery. The walls of a 
ruined temple that had been buried by the shifting sand 
offered a place of retreat that was refreshing and cool. 
“Callisto,” he said, “here is our fortress. I pray that we 
may not need its protection.” 

“My love,” Callisto said, “why goeth thou to Medina? 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


249 


There is more danger than thou knowest of within its 
oval walls. We will pass it by.” 

“Nay ! nay ! Dost thou not see that it is so written in 
the parchment ? There must we go, and think naught of 
the peril. How is it, thou sweet child, that thou knowest 
so much of these cities? They were a cipher to me in 
England. I knew not of their existence.” 

“I was brought up by an indulgent master. When I 
was but a child my parents sold me to an Arabian mer- 
chant who traded in Smyrna rugs and rich silks. He 
cared naught for me. He bought me that he might have 
gain in my sale. I have lived with caravans, and thus 
these places are not new to me. My beauty improved as 
I grew older. I was sold to the mosque in Alexandria. 
Thou knowest the rest of my story.” 

“Thou child of the desert, heaven sent thee for my de- 
liverance. Thou asketh why I wish this fatal letter to be 
removed. I will tell thee. That thou lovest me I will be 
sworn. Thou knowest the trouble that it hath brought 
to me. I could live with thee always, Callisto, were this 
letter gone.” 

“I bethink me of the arms that encircled thy neck,” she 
replied. “Whither thou goest there she will be ; she will 
claim thee. Alas ! for poor Callisto ; then what wilt thou 
do?” 

“That which a manly man would do ; fear not, thou of 
the sad heart; if the maiden which dwelleth in England 
is married, then will I make thee my lawful wife; the 
dangers we have shared make thee doubly dear to me, 
so dry thine eyes, and we will, journey to Medina. 

“I wot not that Medina was so strongly fortified; it 
hath four well-guarded gates, flanked with modern walls ; 


250 A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 

as thou art familiar with the place, tell to me where we 
shall abide/’ 

“It were better that we go to that part where the Egyp- 
tians dwell ; follow me, and fear no danger. Go not to 
the mosque, unless we are recognized ; we will move for- 
ward on the morrow, and may Heaven guide us, as thou 
knowest not where to venture after we quit this city of 
walls and towers.” 

“Thou art right, Callisto; I know not where to travel, 
neither know I who will read the riddle on my breast; 
there is a monitor here that will make the pathway plain, 
or this character meaneth naught.” 

Thus they journeyed from Medina into the desert; 
sandy space was their companion, the Tropic of Cancer 
was their destination. 

Two days’ journey from Medina they discovered a 
second oasis which was larger than the first ; thither they 
directed their footsteps ; it was far removed from the 
usual caravan routes, and oflfered them a safe haven of 
refuge. “Callisto, I find buried ruins here also, and I 
note the fact that they have a northeasterly and a south- 
westerly trend, as if to mark the passage of the sun and 
stars across the longitudinal line ; here is a sundial ; can 
it be possible that this is the end of my journey?” 

“Light of my eyes,” she replied, “Allah be praised that 
it is so ; we could not find a more pleasant spot to rest ; 
no Bedouins have ever been here, neither have caravans 
ever halted here.” 

“How knowest thou this, my good girl? I lack wo- 
fully the knowledge of desert craft ; how illy fitted am I 
for such a life.” 

She laughed softly, as she answered : “The tribe from 
\vhich I came were born robbers, and the generations be- 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


251 


fore them were no better ; if they murdered and plun- 
dered the Turks, the Turks murdered and plundered 
them ; for this reason was I nurtured in art of detecting 
danger. Thou seest no camel droppings anywhere, and 
thou seest no ashes of fires.” When they had unloaded 
the donkeys, and made themselves as comfortable as the 
circumstances of the situation justified, the maiden picked 
up the strange eye and moved to the outer edge of the 
oasis ; she rested the brass tube on the decayed bark of 
the palm, and swept the yellow horizon in a half circle. 

An exclamation of alarm from the maiden brought Sir 
Jasper to her side. “ ’Tis naught yet ; perchance it is a 
simoon that raiseth the sand in a cloud, or it is a caravan ; 
return to thy sitting and eat thy figpaste and thy dates in 
peace; if it is a caravan they will pass us by. Light of 
my eyes,” she said, “it is a caravan; if these robbers of 
the desert see it, then will our refuge be invaded. 

“I see another cloud of sand not so large, but more 
dangerous ; it is the Bedouins, they are mounted on 
Arabian horses and move cautiously in a small but com- 
pact mass. The stupid merchants with their bales of 
merchandise see not the danger, or they are well prepared 
to resist capture; I know not which conjecture is right. 
Now the victims see the robbers approach ; fear has made 
them cowards ; the camels are resting on their stomachs, 
and form a circle around the stuffs that seem to be 
precious ; they will make a show of resistance. 

“The Bedouins scatter and form a wide circle around 
the travelers ; the horsemen skim the ground like swal- 
lows ; they are narrowing the circle ; while they run they 
discharge a flight of arrows into the terror-stricken men 
and women that are on their knees ; the robbers have 
captured the caravan, yet have they killed no one; they 


252 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


are heading in this direction ; the main body of the Arabs 
are galloping southward, only six of them guard the 
prisoners.” 

“Fear not, Callisto ; nay, do not tremble, they are thirty 
miles from us ; we are more than a match for them. 
Heaven be praised that no more came with the booty ; I 
see by the glass that they have halted for the day, and 
will not reach this point until darkness is upon us.” 

“Wilt thou rescue the captives, light of my eyes ?” the 
girl asked, “and wilt thou slay the robbers? What wilt 
thou do with the rich stuffs of velvet and satin? Thou 
seest how mine eyes sparkle with pleasure at this chance 
that may never come to me again.” 

“What can such things profit us amidst this waste of 
sand? When thou comest into my kingdom, thou shalt 
have jewels and richer silks than these ; but if it suits thy 
fancy, take what thou wishest, this shall be thy ransom 
for their deliverance.” 

“Only that I may be beholden in thy sight ; it was but 
to please thee, my master, that the desire came to me; 
’twas but a foolish fancy ; think no more of it, but let us 
counsel together ere they be upon us.” 

“We have three shots, thanks to our English friend ; 
they have never heard the report of firearms ; they will 
fall an easy prey, or scatter over the desert ; when we are 
well rid of them I will unbind the captives and send them 
on their way rejoicing.” 

“Art thou not a prophet ? A prophet must be a prophet ; 
tear away the mask and he is only a man; thou wilt 
receive in exchange for one danger a hundred dangers; 
work upon their superstitious fears ; conceal thy person 
in yon ruins ; they must not see the hand that slays ; I 
will be thy handmaid to have speech with them; I will 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


253 


remove this tell-tale evidence; Arabian eyes are sharper 
than the eyes of a lynx.” 

“Thou art shrewd in thy mind and noble in thy heart ; 
thy plans are the gateways to our safety; thou knowest 
how to reload these strange things that hold the sting of 
death ; there be six to kill, and three shots only have we.” 

“Slay and spare not; the escape of one will bring the 
tented tribe upon us;” the girl said this as she handled 
the weapons and became familiar with the ammunition. 
“The captors and captives approach from the proper di- 
rection, and will squat on the thin edge of the oasis ; 
hearest thou the cries and lamentations of the women? 
they well know what their fate will be.” 

While they were yet speaking the camels with their 
burdens halted at the edge of the palms ; their keeper 
gave each one a smart blow on the animal’s knees, and 
each in turn squatted, while its burden was removed and 
all piled in one heap farther in the oasis. 

The helpless prisoners were huddled together a dozen 
paces from the Arabs ; the females redoubled their lamen- 
tations, and called on Allah with an earnestness that dan- 
ger inspired. The men stood apart from the women, and 
were taciturn, as they eyed their captors with a malicious- 
ness that had danger in every stare. The robbers kindled 
a blaze with dried leaves and twigs, while they ate the 
prepared rice; they drank from their gourd calabashes 
the arrack, and now and then glanced at the group with 
a menacing expression that was diabolical. 

Sir Jasper and his companion were hidden within the 
ruins, where they had concealed themselves. He glanced 
along the barrel of his gun, a flash, a loud report, and 
one of the robbers fell forward into the fire; a second 
and third discharge from the pistols, and two more lay 


254 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


dead; the remaining three were rooted to the spot with 
fear, and fell easy victims to the marksmanship of the 
Englishman. When the smoke drifted upwards to the 
trees, Callisto went boldly among the captives, and said : 

“Allah is good, his prophet hath saved thee; who can 
stand before the thunder of his voice? thy prayers have 
been heard.” A joyous expression beamed on her face 
as her eyes rested on one of the rescued travelers ; his 
long, gray beard reached to his waist, his robe was black, 
covered all over with cabalistic characters ; among these 
she saw the duplicate of the one on her master’s breast. 
“Depart not, thou strange man, I will return.” Saying 
this she darted among the ruins, and was gone for the 
space of a minute. When she returned she had the parch- 
ment in her hand, and continued: “Canst thou decipher 
this strange lettering? thy beard is the whitened seal of 
wisdom.” 

“Not now, my daughter, my poor brain is bewildered ; 
come to my home and it shall be as thou desireth.” 

“Where is thy home, thou aged man? I will surely 
come to thee, for the prophet hath blessed thee with 
ripened years.” 

“My home is in Petra, ten days’ journey from this spot 
of earth. Right well I know that thou and thy friend 
art anxious to hold speech with me ; nay, appear not con- 
fused, thou maiden of Circassia, thou art on a strange 
mission ; though my years on earth are few, yet beats my 
heart with gratitude for thy timely deliverance; ask of 
me what thou wilt, I can deny thee naught.” 

“Where is thy home in Petra ? Methought the ancient 
spot was a desolation; how sayest thou that thy home 
is there?” 

“Seek ye among the bats and owls, they will guide thee 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


255 


to my retreat ; travel thou in this direction, turn thou to 
the senseless mummery that awaiteth thee ; like stocks 
and stones they are bowed to earth with an homage that 
hath four parts of hypocrisy in the mixing.” Saying 
which the seer turned on his heel and gathered his bundle 
of parchments under his arm and waited for the departure 
of the caravan. 

Callisto secured three goatskins of water from the Ar- 
menians, and a bag of wheaten biscuits from a merchant 
of Alexandria. When the caravan departed Sir Jasper 
came from his hiding place and affectionately embraced 
his companion. “Each day my love for thee increaseth; 
thy worth is beyond compare ; thus thou leadeth me on 
my journey. Now point me the way that the aged man 
showed to thee, and I will set the compass that we may 
have the bearings.” 

The next morning they departed from the spot where 
the dial mark had been buried for ages in the shifting 
sand. How many miles of travel it would have saved 
him if he could have known the future. But it was hid- 
den from him by the hand of destiny ; again he trod the 
sandy wastes hoping for a successful ending of his mis- 
fortune. 

It was the twelfth day after their departure when they 
reached the ruins of Petra. How vast must have been 
the ancient city. With utter helplessness they gazed 
around upon the crumbling stones. 


256 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

CARL AND THE WIDOW^S DAUGHTER TO WED AN 

UNFORESEEN ARRIVAL. 

Carl was again in London. He had a promise from 
Florette that when the six years expired she would sur- 
render her hand to him. Her heart was a trust that time 
must redeem by pledges that love might enact. 

These thoughts were in his mind as he cantered along 
the road to Ashton Park. The place never looked so in- 
viting to Carl as he glanced upwards to the stately old 
trees that shaded the lawn ; their branches spread in 
matted confusion • over the shrubless acres. He wiped 
the moisture from his forehead and skirted the angle of 
the forest, because he longedf or the grateful shade, and 
the companionship of the cliff maiden. 

Florette was at the wide gateway as Carl rode up. He 
dismounted and threw the rein to the porter. “Come, 
my little playmate,” he said, “let us walk in the park, the 
coolness is inviting. What, thou art sad to-day, Florette ? 
Nay! nay! this should not be; I will think that thy love 
wandereth afar amidst the sands of an Arabian desert. 
Dismiss the thought, and imagine thou art in Dantima 
wandering at will in the glen.” 

“I have never ceased to think of Dantima, Carl.” She 
said this so pathetically that the young officer turned to 
see tears on her cheeks. “I have given thee, Carl, such 
love as I might, but thou canst not ask me to forget ; fie 
upon thee that I should say as much.” 

“Thou hast shamed the love I bear thee ; if thou sayest 
so we will be quits, Florette; I want no divided heart; 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


257 


the crumbs of comfort are mine ; upon these my famished 
heart must feed; hadst thou told me of this love when 
we were younger, I might have cast the shadow from 
me ; now it is too late.” 

“Yes, Carl, it is too late; for well thou knowest the 
bans have been already published ; our family want no 
more of slander’s foulest harpings ; we have had enough 
for all of the years to come.” Turning to her companion, 
she continued : “The aged aunt thou didst resurrect from 
the tomb of wounded honor is like the wolf that pursueth 
its prey ; she hath no mercy in her soul ; the Mosaic law 
is to her a lantern to guide her feet.” 

“I do not comprehend thy meaning ; this aunt is over- 
scrupulous with her devotions ; she readeth the Holy 
Scriptures diligently from morning until night, and re- 
peateth ‘An eye for an eye,’ with a solemnity that chilleth 
me ; yet is she kind to me. I will impart to thee a secret, 
and thou tellest it not, she hath willed her fortune to me ; 
much I stand in need of this wealth that is considerable. 
The King’s cause falleth to pieces ; soon will my com- 
mission be canceled; thus the money cometh not a whit 
too soon.” 

“Hast thou informed her of our marriage, Carl ? Per- 
chance she will change her mood and will it to others less 
worthy than thyself. Knowest thou how she hateth my 
dear mother?” 

“She knoweth not of my love for thee ; bethink thee I 
had not the sanction of thy acceptance to my pleadings. 
Now that this point is settled beyond the' peradventure of 
a doubt, I will ride over to the cottage where she resides 
and acquaint her with the facts.” 

“Carl, we will move back to Dantima where the peace 
of a holy existence is more to our liking than the expendi- 


258 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


tures of this vast estate. Already rumors have reached 
our ears that the property will be confiscated to the Com- 
monwealth ; little the loss will be to us, because the strug- 
gle for the estate has been an apple of discord that 
brought unjust shame to our side of the sisterhood, of 
which thou hast yet much to learn.” 

“Sit here upon this moss-covered root that runs above 
the ground and tell me of our family history; what is 
this phantom that pursues us with such malignity? I 
brought hither an aunt and cousin, and my mother re- 
fused to see them. I gave to my aunt that readeth the 
Holy Scriptures our address, and again my mother re- 
fused her that civility that even strangers should observe. 
Let some light into my brain that I stumble not to the 
falling.” 

“Ask thou of thy aunt that readeth the Holy Scriptures 
diligently, yet getteth she no farther on the road to 
Heaven than the old Mosaic law, ‘An eye for an eye, and 
a tooth for a tooth.' Away with such religion, she 
knoweth not in her heart that Christ is risen.” 

“How strangely thou discourseth, Florette; I am 
farther from thy meaning than before. I will mount at 
once and seek my aunt ; I must know what this all mean- 
eth. When dost thou make the move to Dantima ? that 
I may see Father Leonard and make such arrangements 
as seemeth proper.” 

“Within the week ; the servants are even now packing 
the lighter movables. If thou returneth not within that 
time, ride to the cliff where thou wilt find us.” As he was 
preparing to mount, she laid her hand affectionately on 
his arm, and said: “Let the trouble die in thy breast; 
the words that I have spoken are a trust, and mayest 
thou not suffer from the telling.” She gazed after him 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


259 


as he rode so steadily away, then gave a deep sigh, and 
returned to the mansion. 

Straightway he rode to his aunt’s, and without knock- 
ing he entered the small apartment that was not ceiled ; 
the rafters and beams that had been hewn from the solid 
logs were smoky with age, yet gave they to the room a 
substantial appearance that was not in keeping with the 
outer walls ; the place was chilly even in Spring. 

His aunt wiped the moisture from her glasses with her 
apron, and motioned her nephew to a low stool by the 
bright blaze that flickered in the fireplace. He could tell 
by her devotional manner that she was reading sacred 
passages from the Holy Book. When she finished the 
chapter, she laid the book reverently aside as if the move- 
ment gave her pain. “What wilt thou of me, Carl ? thou 
art a bonny lad, even unto my heart’s great liking ; speak, 
what wouldst thou?” 

“I am to wed. I came first to thee to honor thee by 
the telling ; rejoice thou with me for my soldier’s life 
will soon be a condition of the past. I have looked for- 
ward to this day with manly pride.” 

“How long hast thou known her, Carl ? I may ask be- 
cause I will on the day thou weddest lay down a round 
thousand pounds, with a promise of more when the years 
to me no longer are. Alas ! I am childless, without kith 
or kin; with the exception of my sisters and their chil- 
dren, I have no other relatives.” 

“Then, my dear aunt, in the sight of the law thou hast 
heirs; how sayest thou that thou wilt leave all of thy 
inheritance to me ?” 

“ ’Twas a shrewd question, and shrewdly put ; thou art 
wise for thy years, else thou hadst not come safely 
through the perils that beset thee when thou didst deliver 


26 o 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


the despatches of King Charles to that weak ruler of 
Scotland. Tell to me the adventure again, for my ears 
do tingle with the telling ; thou hadst the courage of thy 
ancestors that drew the long bow in the wars of their 
day. There is Carl, thy namesake, that sent as straight 
a shaft as any of the King’s best archers. Edward the 
Black Prince commended him in like manner as good 
King Charles commended thee. Thou hast two rings of 
the House of Stuarts, and royally thou didst earn the 
favors.” 

“Nay, my good aunt, the adventure would spoil with 
the telling ; no braggart am I ; and boasting sitteth as 
illy on my tongue as the vile lotions of the leeches craft ; 
I pray thee that I may be excused.” 

“Thou art right, my boy, be not puffed up in thine 
own estimation, for as this good book sayeth : ‘A 
haughty spirit goeth before a fall.’ Tell me of the 
maiden thou lovest; hath she black or brown eyes, grey 
or blue ; is she flaxen-haired, or is she raven-haired. I 
bespeak a good word for thy taste ; in such love a youth 
of thy years hath that nice discrimination that maketh 
such a choice his heart’s desire.” 

“Thou shouldst know her, since she is thy niece, a 
bonnier bride never graced an altar.” 

“Carl, thou meanest Ella Oakly, the one that thou so 
bravely rescued from the roundheads. She is a bonny 
lass, yet I like not the thought that thou wilt marry thy 
cousin ; yet if it pleaseth thee, I will not say thee nay. 
Am I right in the guess thereof?” 

“It is the Widow Deycourt’s daughter that I would 
wed ; the family have had more than their share of the 
rough knocks that this world giveth to tb::-3e who are 
down.” 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


261 


When the young officer had delivered him of this 
speech, he turned his head three-quarters around and 
saw a sight that startled him. The aged head of his aunt 
was lying upon the table, her coil of hair had loosened, 
her gray hair was spread over the table ; a faintness came 
over her that resembled death. He rushed to her side 
and from his flask of rum he poured a small quantity 
down her throat; the stimulant revived her; she sat up- 
right in her seat and glared at Carl as one that had not 
her senses. 

For the space of a minute she gazed sadly at the boy ; 
her mind was a busy workshop, wherein the conflicting 
emotions of love and duty bravely battled. She was 
tempted for the nonce to bury the past forever; the sight 
of Carl’s bright and happy face unnerved her; his morn- 
ing of life was at the dawning, hers was beyond the gray 
shadows of twilight; but the past came like the plead- 
ings ,of a devil to wreck the good intentions of the 
moment ; her face hardened, her pale lips thinned out to 
a straight line, as she slowly repeated: ^‘An eye for an 
eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” 

“Oh, my aunt, do not look so terrible ; what have I 
said to make such a change in thy manner? what is this 
terrible thing that hangs like an avalanche over our heads 
and is ready to crush us ? what does it all mean ?” 

‘T pray, Carl, that thou mayest never know. Of one 
thing be assured, Florette and thyself can never wed; I 
am certain on this point. There are other girls as fair 
to look upon. Thou knowest the proverb : ‘There are as 
good fish in the sea as ever came out of it.’ I hurt my- 
self in telling this to thee; it hurts me here, but I com- 
mand thee now that thou shalt not wed this niece of mine 
pn pain of disinheritance/’ 


262 A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 

''Yet thou tellest me not the reason why ; thou art un- 
reasonable in this silence that conjureth up a hundred 
dread misgivings, and maketh my heart a target for the 
busy doubts that haunt my brain.” 

"Go, my son; leave me now; another time thou shalt 
know all. May God’s blessings rest upon thee.” 

Carl hastened to inform his mother of the approaching 
nuptials ; the lightness of his heart was gone. When he 
came into her presence there was a subdued sadness in 
the news that more nearly resembled the passing of a 
soul. "My mother,” he said, "knowest thou that Florette 
and myself are to wed ? thou wilt give us thy blessing ; 
within the week Widow Deycourt will return to Dantima ; 
the estate is to be confiscated to the crown ; they will live 
in the cottage again.” 

"My son, thou bringest me strange news all in a breath. 
How will they bear up with the bitter persecution that 
will the more harass them, since the Lord Protector is 
in power, and King Charles hath fled to Scotland ; even 
under the laws of Charles they were unruly even unto 
violence, and now they return to court the danger afresh.” 

"A thought hath taken possession of my mind; these 
heartless burghers did hound these innocent persons be- 
cause the widow bought the property from the Council, 
and in the possession thereof did induce the evil spirits 
to molest the peace of Dantima, when my father was to 
blame ; the books of the alchemist were filled with strange 
characters, and thus Sir Jasper gained a knowledge of 
that letter on his breast; since father quitted the burgh 
no lights have been seen, neither have the strange sounds 
been heard.” 

Carl’s mother did not answer these queries ; her mind 
was touched, as she soliloquized: "Again have we been 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


263 


the means of bringing misfortune to the innocent ; I see 
it all; what a strange power Providence is, it smiteth 
for some wise purpose the innocent, and prospereth the 
ungodly. Carl,” she said this slowly, “hast thou thought 
well of this marriage, hast thou the means to support a 
wife, for love liveth not on air ; it has taken thy earnings 
to support us, and now thou tellest me that Florette hath 
not so much as the price of a bodkin.” 

“Let it be so, we will wed; the pool hath fishes, the 
meadow hath lambs that may be had for the raising ; the 
soil yieldeth its increase to the diligent hand of toil ; what 
more asketh thou?” 

“Well, and truly spoken, thou lovelorn swain; be it 
as thou wisheth; hast thou named the day? Father 
Leonard will perform the marriage ceremony. I hope 
that this match will bring happiness to thee, but God well 
knows that I have my doubtings on the subject.” 

Carl did not mention his interview with his aunt to his 
mother, and thus the subject rested for the present. 

The busy preparations for the wedding drove the un- 
welcome ghosts of the past from the field of the present. 
As the day drew nearer, Florette absented herself from 
the family gathering ; she sought the solitude of the 
Grotto of Our Lady. For hours at a time would she gaze 
at the stone cross until it seemed to be a living thing that 
sympathized with her in her trouble. Father Leonard 
killed every hope of her wandering lover’s return ; he 
narrated minutely the ghostly visit of the cavalier monk. 
With patient resignation she bowed to the inexorable 
hand of destiny. 

Some change had come to the citizens of Dantima, 
whose victorious cause brought a self-laudation that sat- 
isfied wounded pride. The widow and her family came 


264 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


and went at pleasure, because the alchemist, by request 
of Carl, left his cabalistic tomes in London. For this 
reason no manifestations of the evil one brought terror 
to the minds of the dwellers in the burgh of Dantima. 

Carl, in his boyish enthusiasm, did not notice the pale- 
ness on the cheeks of his intended bride. He made fre- 
quent trips to the glen and brought armsful of ivy and 
holly to bedeck the Cathedral ; his fancy devised a bower 
in the forefront of the altar, with sprigs of mistletoe in- 
terwoven with the wreaths of flowers. It was well that 
love was blind in this instance, because Florette’s heart 
and mind were buried in the sands of an Arabian desert ; 
the broken vows drifted back through the aisles of the 
years to reproach her for her faithlessness. Thus Carl 
found her on the day of their wedding. 

“What, Florette ! thy eyes are thus filled with tears ; 
nay, this will never do.” He folded three or four large 
sycamore leaves and brought from the spring some water 
to bathe her swollen lids ; passively she permitted him to 
lave them, and they returned to Carl’s home where she 
was dressed by loving hands for the ceremony. 

The wedding cortege moved deliberately through the 
streets of Dantima to the Cathedral where the priest was 
waiting to unite the pair in the holy bands of wedlock. 
Under the mistletoe bough they stood while Father 
Leonard spake the solemn words that partly made them 
man and wife, when he came to the solemn words, “If 
any one knoweth cause why this young couple may not 
wed, speak now, or forever afterwards hold thy peace.” 

A shrill voice from the gathering within the church 
shrieked : “In the name of God, I forbid this marriage.” 

“Advance to the altar, thou challenger of these marital 
rites, and give us thy reasons for this untimely disturb- 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


265 


ance; get thee hence, or the beadle will remove thee.” 
Father Leonard saw a stately old-fashioned dame walk 
slowly up the aisle; her stiffly starched ruffles almost 
concealed the upper part of her head, whose coiffure was 
surmounted with a golden comb. When she came to the 
chancel railing she reiterated what she had said in the 
back part of the Cathedral, and in a clear, convincing 
tone of voice, exclaimed: “They are brother and sister. 
In the name of Cromwell, the Lord Protector, forbear!” 
Then she glided along the nave to the entrance, and was 
gone. 

Florette’s mother rushed forward and shrieked in her 
shrillest voice: “Thou liest in thy throat, thou hoary- 
headed sinner; thou art a lunatic, a mad woman, that 
should be confined in a madhouse. I have suffered 
enough from the world’s cruel tongue, and now thou 
heapest more infamy upon me.” When she had uttered 
these words she sank lifeless upon the pavement. Carl 
dipped both hands into the holy water of the font and 
dashed it on her face; they opened one of the stained- 
glass windows; the fresh, pure air revived her, and she 
was conveyed upon a stretcher to the cliff. 

The Cathedral was deserted, a chill of horror fell upon 
the people that crowded the aisles; they withdrew to 
their homes to speak in bated breaths of the widow’s mis- 
fortune. 

Florette was secretly pleased at the turn of love’s tide ; 
her gratitude to Carl for the prompt succor in her hours 
of danger had builded up in her heart a false sentiment 
that would have made her an unwilling bride ; now the 
old love came back with augmented force, and in her soul 
she watched and waited for the wanderer’s return. 

Carl’s anger at the unseemly conduct of his aunt was 


266 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


beyond all bounds. He returned to L.ondon and sought 
his relative; she was as usual reading the pages of holy 
writ, and scarcely noticed her nephew as he strode up to 
where she was sitting, and ranted : “Why didst thou not 
tell me of this, my aunt, ere I made of myself a target for 
ill-mannered tongues to shoot at, and Florette, think of 
the shame thou hast brought to her, think of the agony 
that rended the widow’s heart. What aileth thee, hast 
thou lost thy mind in this vindictive pursuit of innocence ? 
Tell us of this unrighteous slur that has brought unhappi- 
ness to us all.” 

“Go to, my nephew, and seek not to know more, to thy 
disfavor.” 

Carl continued with increasing warmth: “Thou hast 
repaid my kindness by delivering this cruel blow that has 
wrecked my happiness forever. Give thy wealth to others, 
throw it to the dogs in the street, I care not one whit for 
a penny thou hast ; thy offering I fling back in thy teeth.” 

“Softly, Carl, thou art a hot-headed youth, thy words 
have little worth to me ; I could not blight the hopes of 
thy young life by confessing to thee the terrible secrets 
that have outlived the years ; thy ambitions in the cause 
of Charles would have had an untimely birth and a speedy 
death ; did I not warn thee, and thou heedest not the 
warning?” 

When he departed from his aunt’s house he betook him 
to the workshop of his father ; there he passed his days 
watching the skillful compounding of the chemical ele- 
ments that melted in the glowing crucibles ; he envied 
this man his contentment, this man that dreamed his life 
away in the search for the philosopher’s stone that would 
transmute baser metals into gold and silver ; he envied 
him his talents that made him a master of his art. While 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


267 


this alchemist could never create Silurian fissures, or a 
world, he could at least wear out his existence solving 
the hardest of nature’s puzzles, and thus remove himself 
from the petty cares of life. 

Carl loved not Florette, her presence was distasteful 
to him. In the seclusion of his home the sha4ows of 
misanthropy grew deeper as the weeks went by. He 
avoided the cliff and its inmates. 


268 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


CHAPTER XIX. 

THE king's messenger AND THE ARABIAN ASTROLOGER. 

''No MAN liveth here,” Sir Jasper exclaimed, as he cast 
his glances about him and picked his way between broken 
columns and walls; he mounted upon a small mound 
that perhaps hid the marble entrance of some palace of 
ancient Petra; the same awful desolation spread before 
him in every direction. 

"Callisto, here will we tether the brutes, and rest for 
the night ; the day is far to its closing, mayhap the mor- 
row will direct our steps aright, and we will see again 
the seer with his strange garment; the beasts of burden 
will have their browsing, for .the pasturage is limitless; 
and thou sayest so, we can have roasted kid for our even- 
ing meal. Seest thou the mother with her young as they 
bound away?” 

“For my sake, slay not the harmless goats; let them 
live.” 

“Be it as thou sayest, but 'tis a tempting shot for one 
who loveth the sport for the sport’s sake. Prepare thou 
the meal while I wander among these ruins that I may 
find the strange letter or the opening that leadeth to this 
astrologer’s cave.” 

“Thou hast found naught to guide thy footsteps, thou 
light of my soul?” The girl asked this as she sat upon 
the slight elevation and consumed the food that hunger 
made appetizing. When they had eaten to their filling, 
they drank lightly of the water in the leathern bags, and 
laid down to rest. The piercing howls of the jackals and 
the lonely hootings of the owls disturbed their sleep; 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


269 


with upturned faces they gazed upon the stars and slept 
among the desolation of centuries, 

“Didst thine ear catch the strange sound, Callisto? 
Methought I heard that that sounded uncanny; per- 
chance it was the subconsciousness of the first sleep that 
visited my tired brain.” 

“Well do I hear the disturbance thou speaketh of, it 
cometh from beneath the ground whereon we lie. I hear 
the noise of tramping feet, the clatter of wheels scurry- 
ing over paved streets, together with the heavenly music 
that cometh to my ears. What meaneth it, do we take 
leave of our senses?” 

Deep sleep fell upon them ; the world with its teeming 
crust was slipping from beneath them as they plunged 
headlong into space ; a dreamy languor filled them with 
pleasurable sensations ; pain, an earthly heritage, re- 
turned to its natural home; they were treading the 
streets of some ancient city; strangely dressed people 
filled the magnificent bazaars where Oriental merchandise 
was offered for sale to the luxuriously attired loungers ; 
impatient steeds yoked to brass chariots pawed the stones, 
or flew along the marble streets. 

These desert wanderers were unnoticed, for all were 
busy with the events of their peculiar lives. It was a city 
of pleasure where work was unknown ; the swinging 
gardens were filled with happy idlers, scores of harps 
discoursed the sweetest melody, perfumed fountains 
tossed cooling spray upon the rare exotics of an eastern 
clime that bloomed in perpetual sunshine. 

The theatres were crowded with beautiful women and 
handsome men ; the choruses and masques strutted upon 
the great stage to tempt the plaudits of the vast throng 


270 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


that filled the seats with generous patrons ; the squares 
were lined with countless statues. Statues whose 
shapely proportions were garlanded with wreaths 
of roses ; the cold, white marble breathed a sen- 
suous longing in every cunningly carved line. It was 
a city without shrines, altars, or temples, a city without 
gods and without religion, where life’s short day was one 
endless round of pleasure. Mad revelry ruled this strange 
world where wine was the water of life, and enervate peo- 
ple sipped from golden cups and filled the air with song. 
The sorrow of human hearts and faces was not there to 
mar the rippling peals of laughter that floated from 
everywhere. 

No childish laughter came to their ears, because no 
children were there. Old age never left a wrinkle on the 
brows of these strange beings because there were no old 
people; no cemeteries filled with costly monuments or 
grassy-grown graves were there to remind them of im- 
mortality. It was a city without a beginning, and a city 
that had no ending; it was Petra, with its soulless bodies 
that laugh forever and know naught of decay. 

When Callisto and the King’s messenger awoke they 
stared at the ceiling of some grand ruins. Their astonish- 
ment increased as they looked steadfastly at the astrologer 
who sat at a marble table. A single bronze lamp was 
burning. The wick immersed in oil had nearly burned 
out. They knew this because the smell became oflFensive. 
He was as immovable as a statue ; the same cabalistic robe 
covered his person ; one hand was supporting his chin, 
wherefrom a long, white beard almost hid the top of the 
table; his eyes were fixed upon the pages of an open 
book. 

They turned from this silent figure to note the odd brass 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


271 


instruments that crowded one end of the apartment. The 
thought came to Sir Jasper that they were used for 
measuring celestial distances. “Callisto,” he said, “the 
man sleepeth soundly ; he hath not moved so much as a 
finger. This suspense is trying to my nerves. I will 
cough and thus arouse him. And yet he sleeps. I have 
made noise enough to awaken one-half of the world. I 
will go to him ; I can no longer stand this silence.” With 
this purpose in his mind he cautiously approached the 
aged man, and started back in alarm. “He is dead, Cal- 
listo, and hath not an ounce of blood in his veins. Ah! 
woe is me ! And he hath not read the sign. After all of 
these years of danger and hardship he hath passed away 
with my secret in his dead brain. Ah ! woe is me I The 
book that is before him may cast some brightness over 
this gloom.” 

“See !” the maiden exclaimed, “these pages are dupli- 
cates of the pages thou hast in thy blouse ; there lieth some 
hope for thee in this. Be not cast down, thou light of my 
eyes.” 

“Who will solve the meanings ? Alas ! not myself, for 
the soldier usurped the student in my making. Alack! 
that I should say so much. Callisto !” he hissed in a 
startled whisper, “the blood floweth back from the ebb of 
life ; the body warmeth ; I can see his blue veins fill out, 
and the pulse throbbeth with energy, and last of all he 
openeth his eyes. May Heaven bless thee, old man; I 
thought thou wert dead, and my secret gone with thee.” 

A faint smile played for a moment upon the seer’s thin 
lips, as he answered : “Surprise hath taken possession of 
thy senses. I blame thee not, for thou hast much to learn. 
The material world sometimes passes the confines of the 


272 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


spiritual world, and then the soul returneth to the body 
that sheltered! it.’' 

^‘Thou wise man, how can my senses follow thee in thy 
world of knowledge, since I am but a soldier of fortune 
that knoweth more of splitting crowns or smiting off 
limbs than the knowledge that taketh years of study to 
master ?” 

“My son, my soul hath been on a journey that I may 
explain to thee the scroll and the meaning on thy breast.” 

“Meanest thou that thy soul and body parted company 
for a space of time, and then thy soul returneth to its 
house of clay?” 

“Is it more wonderful than thy dreams, or the sus- 
pended animation that disturbed thee so much?” 

“What a mystery is life as thou showeth it to me!” ex- 
claimed Sir Jasper, with startled excitement, for he com- 
prehended the meaning of the astrologer’s words, and 
continued : “Canst thou send my invisible self to Dan- 
tima?” 

Without noticing the interruption, the aged man con- 
tinued : “There is no life or death — only a change — as 
heat and cold hath no division of its force, only a grada- 
tion or mergence of degrees, so it is with life and death. 
You were in a strange city last night. You were walk- 
ing through the busy streets of Petra as it existed cen- 
turies ago.” 

“Were they alive ?” Callisto asked. 

“Their souls were freed from their chrysalises of clay' 
so long ago that time is forgotten. Life exists under a 
million conditions by the agency of change. We step 
from one existence to another, yet both may travel side 
by side through the depths of etet nab space.” 

“God wot but it was a day to be thankful for, the day 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


273 


that I met thee, when thou and thy attendants were sorely 
beset in the desert. I am in a land of wonders.” 

“My son, it is vulgar to show such weakness ; to-night, 
as thou wisheth I will send thy soul to Dantima, and thy 
body shall be none the worse for thy journey.” The 
astrologer arose from his seat and walked across the 
mosaic pavement to a roughly constructed larder where 
provisions were stored. Callisto, seeing his intentions, 
aided the old man. Together they spread the evening 
meal that they might refresh their bodies, for the day’s 
fast had enhungered them. The wine was rich with its 
antiquity, and the goats’ milk and porridge, the dates, 
and the freshly gathered almonds filled their appetites 
with contentment. 

“How did it happen to thy mind, my reverent friend, 
that there was such a city as Dantima, seeing that thou 
dwellest in this desert of desolation, and no one from the 
outside world cometh to thee ?” ^ 

A smile played for a moment over the seer’s features, 
as he replied : “We have an agency there, a circle of mag- 
netic influence that seemeth to be a scourge to the people 
that dwell within the walled town. Yet are these spirits 
pure as heaven’s air, and not the devil’s leaguers as they 
be so pleased to name them. These kind spirits do con- 
tinually pray for the welfare of mortal souls, and look 
with sorrow upon the perversity of mortal man.” 

“The same spirits that placed this sign of sorrow upon 
my breast ; didst thou, oh, wise man, tell to me as much 
in what thou hast spoken?” 

“Thou hast reasoned aright, my son. There is a strange 
destiny yet in store for thee ere thou returnest to thy 
native land. The sweet voice that sayeth to thee : ‘Come 
to me, thou are mine,’ hath a unison with the gray cell 


274 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


matter of thy brain in the number of vibrations, and 
thus her voice cometh to thee over the wastes of water 
and sand. The strange music that came to save thee from 
the pitfalls of sin is likewise a unison of vibrations.’' 

^ “Why, thou seer, should this mysterious influence be 
confined to one city and not to others — say, London, for 
illustration ?” 

“Wist ye not that the parchment thou hast in thy 
bosom was severed from the book of wisdom possessed 
by yon alchemist in Dantima? For this reason do such in- 
fluences exist to make Dantima a hot-bed of superstition.” 

“If the book were destroyed what would the happening 
be?” 

“This power goeth where this book of wisdom goeth, 
and no mortal shall say them yea nor nay.” 

“Explain to me, O wise seer, this parchment that I have 
so carefully preserved.” As the wanderer said this he 
carefully unwrapped the precious document and spread 
it before his host. 

“The Tropic of Cancer is half way between Medina 
and Mecca. The mark on thy breast is well known to 
ancient astrologers as the sign of the planet Venus, which 
is most brilliant five weeks before and five weeks after 
superior conjunction; the star will then cast a shadow at 
night. If it has reached its highest northern latitude it 
• will shine even at mid-day. This position of the planet 
occurs once in eight years. Upon this circumstance de- 
pendeth thy fate.” 

“Will I yet await this period of time ere the letter be 
removed ?” Sir Jasper’s heart was troubled at this answer 
to his question, whereupon the seer studied for a moment 
some calculations he had made, and answered : 

“Thou art, indeed, fortunate, my son ; in eleven months 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


275 


the star will cast its shadow upon the Tropic of Cancer 
at the oasis where thou didst deal destruction to the 
Bedouin robbers ; then stand thou in the star’s shadow, 
and the letter will trouble thee no more.” 

“Why was I so peculiarly marked?” 

“Because the sign of the Zodiac telleth me thus much, 
thy star was so situated at thy birth thou couldst not 
forego the journey to Dantima as the King’s messenger ; 
it was so written in the sky.” 

“I catch not thy meaning, noble-minded astrologer.” 

“Affinities in space attract when the poles are unlike. 
Thou understandeth not this now. Thou must learn for 
thyself this truth, which will come to thee, never fear ; if 
thou art spared, thou wilt be honored beyond thy reckon- 
ing. Stay with me to-night ; to-morrow thou must travel 
far and fast, for time is precious to thee. Recline upon 
yon cushions, thou and thine; I must to my task.” 

The noble man placed Callisto in a comfortable posi- 
tion and drew the curtains around her, while the sibyl 
bended over the leaves of his clasped book. When these 
arrangements were completed Sir Jasper settled his tired 
body on these cushions that reminded him of the mosque 
in Alexandria. For a time he listened to the ceaseless 
scratching of the quill-pen at the other side of the apart- 
ment ; then a sense of drowsiness stole upon him, and he 
slept soundly. 

When the tired traveler was breathing heavily the 
aged man arose from his leathern-bound seat and moved 
noiselessly to the corner, where a recess in the wall con- 
cealed a tier of shelves. He took from the top one a dark 
blue bottle and approached his guest. When the seer 
reached the side of the slumbering man he saturated a 
cloth with the mixture and applied it softly to the nose of 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


276 

lie of the fatal letter. Seven times the hypnotizer moved 
his hand forward and backward until he counted ten ; 
then the necromancer watched closely the sleeper’s face, 
which became livid, as if death had left its mark thereon. 

A strange-looking brass instrument was placed over 
Sir Jasper. The circles and divisions of circles were care- 
fully adjusted. When this was done the seer resumed his 
ceaseless toil. He gazed at the altitude of the stars and 
closed the opening. The cone-shaped instrument was re- 
moved from his subject. A compound mixture from 
another bottle was fanned across his face. The livid ap- 
pearance on the drowsy man’s face reddened into the flush 
of health. 

When morning light came palely through the openings 
that admitted air, he of the tireless wisdom aroused the 
sleeper by cheerfully exclaiming: “A good morrow to 
thee, my son; thy brothers in Dantima, how were they, 
and how fareth it with those thou lovest ?” 

“The one I wished most to see was absent; those that 
I did see were well, but wofully frightened. They will 
now mourn me as though I were dead. In our far-away 
land when a ghost appeareth it maketh assurance doubly 
sure, and she that I loveth will straightway wed.” 

“Be not cast down; when thou comest again this way 
I will have tidings for thee. Thou must depart at once, 
or another dreary eight years will find thee a servitor to 
the power of the unseen world. Thy brothers only saw 
thee; thy trouble is borrowed. A tenant should quit his 
house at pleasure and return so long as the fabric re- 
maineth whole and is not touched by the fingers of decay.” 

While the old man was thus discoursing, the travelers 
were preparing to depart. “Which is my path that lead- 
eth hence that I may see the reckonings ? Let it be straight 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


277 


as an arrow's flight, for I want not to lose an hour in this 
journey that is beset with such dangers." 

When he had noted the direction of his goal he also 
took reckonings of the exact position of the oasis. 


278 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


CHAPTER XX. 

CARL AND HIS IRON-HEARTED AUNT. 

The Widow Deycourt and her daughter were com- 
fortably settled in the stone cottage on the Devil’s Elbow. 
This property that they bought from the Council of Dan- 
tima belonged to them by reason of a subsequent pur- 
chase ; for this reason it was not included in the confis- 
cation act of Cromwell, an act that transferred Ashton 
Park to the holdings of the Commonwealth, and left them 
without a home in London. 

Florette seldom quitted the house. If she reclined on 
the moss-covered rocks, Carl made her life unhappy by 
his pleadings. The solitude invited a train of thought 
that rendered her nights sleepless. Between these ex- 
tremes the flush on her cheeks faded to a pearly white ; 
the elasticity of hope was gone ; with listless apathy she 
dreamed of the King’s messenger, and performed the 
household duties with a regularity that was methodical. 

She bended over each bucket of water that she brought 
from the spring, and mused in this manner : “What will 
he think of me when he returns from a foreign land ? My 
poor, faded beauty will not impress him as it did in the 
years that were so happy with their brave promises ; the 
years that have slipped away, and still the silence is un- 
broken. Come back to me, my father lover ; come back 
to heal the cruel wound thy absence brings to me.” 

The voice of Carl grated harshly upon her ears, as he 
pleaded: “I would give my life, Florette, were those 
sweet words intended for me.” 

“Carl, you come again to hurt my heart. Do not plead 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


279 


your cause, for it is hopeless ; thou art as mad-minded as 
thy aunt, whose ideas of mercy and justice are rantings 
of hypocrisy ; though she sayeth long prayers, and read- 
eth from the book of Holy Writ, yet is her. heart and 
mind a hot-bed of hate that passeth my understanding.’’ 

His face flushed redly at these stinging remarks. Right 
well he knew of his aunt’s shortcomings, yet had he ne’er 
been told so plainly of her faults. A certain resentment 
in his nature was aroused, yet he answered her naught, 
while he gazed seaward at the white caps of the waves 
as they came rollicking towards the bay inlet. 

“Carl,” she queried, “dost thou think for one moment 
that I would wed thee with such a horrible suspicion 
hanging over our lives ? Not for the wealth of England 
would I be thy wife.” 

“Suppose this suspicion were removed, wouldst thou 
then forego the promise thou madest me in London?” 

“I have broken no promise to thee, Carl. The King’s 
messenger is not dead. The monks in the Monastery of 
Dantima were much perturbed by the sudden, appearance 
of this absent brother dressed in the costume of a Turkish 
merchant. Think not that I am of unsound mind because 
I tell thee this, hope springs anew in my poor heart.” 

“Thou believest this, my little playmate? Surely thy 
sorrows have unhinged thy reason. If such were true, 
it should prove to thee that he is over in the great beyond. 
Surely his living body was not borne upon the winds from 
the Desert of Arabia to the Monastery of Dantima.” 

“I will so believe ; impressions come to us in a mys- 
terious way ; how it cometh no man can tell. My love 
and my heart tell me he is not dead, so have done with 
thy pleadings and tell me of thy daily happenings. Has 
the burgh smoothed the edges of resentment to usward, 


28 o 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


or do their broodings of hatred still set on the nest of ex- 
pectancy to hatch another setting of trouble?” 

“They bear thee and thine no particular ill will ; the 
lessons they have learned so well in the past are not for- 
gotten ; yet go thou not within yon gray wall ; time will 
heal the wound.” 

“God be praised that it is so; I would see Father 
Leonard and gather the tangled ends of this ghostly 
story.” 

“I shall journey straightway to London and compel 
this aunt of mine to produce her evidence,” exclaimed 
Carl, with some warmth. “I must know the truth to 
the clearance of my good name that now hath a cloud 
hanging over it to the misery of my existence.” 

“Go not there, Carl ; let the fires of hate die out ; let 
not thy replenishing fan the flame that hath already made 
such headway in our lives.” 

“If thou and thine be innocent, what mattereth the 
vaporings of these scandal-loving wretches that feed upon 
dead men’s bones.” 

“Have it thy way ; go, thou fire-brand of destruction ; 
time will add to thy store of reason when it is too late.” 
When she had thus spoken, she went within and closed 
the door. 

Without more ado the rejected and dejected wooer 
straightway went to the home of his mother, saddled his 
mare, and rode to London. 

His relative had moved away from the strongly-built 
house with the smoke-discolored rafters. The present 
inmates could not tell him where she was, nor could they 
tell him to what locality she had moved. All of the in- 
formation he received led him to believe that he would 
locate her on the other side of London. 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


281 


“It is better thus,” he said, as he rode in the direction 
indicated. “I hope this will end the family feud that has 
existed for two generations. Why should I persecute 
Florette with my attentions? She is sincere in her devo- 
tion to the cavalier. Yet I must clear up the mystery that 
hangs over my own life ; it is a duty that I owe to myself.” 
As he was thus soliloquizing he glanced sharply at the 
rows of houses that faced the quiet streets of this ancient 
part of the town. He sought this street because the sect 
to which she belonged predominated in this locality. 

“How bootless this misguided search,” he said; “I 
might ride up and down all day and not find her.” He 
reined his steed sharply to the right and cantered along 
the side highway. His busy thoughts were elsewhere, 
consequently he did not see the young girl that was carry- 
ing a well-filled basket from one side of the street to the 
other. He drew his reins quickly, and none too soon. 
The front shoulder of his mare knocked the maiden down 
and scattered the contents of her basket in the dust. 

He dismounted and raised her to her feet. He brushed 
the dust from her dress and replaced the vegetables in 
the wicker basket. Her little treble voice startled him, 
as she cried in an agitated manner: “Why, it is Master 
Carl.” 

“Is it thou, my good girl ? And I have hurt thee.” 

“Not so badly, my young master, that it might not be 
worse. A few bruises that arnica will heal. Carry thou 
the load, and I will limp by thy side.” 

Carl, thus through an accident, strengthened his re- 
solve to demand of his aunt a full explanation, and even 
blessed the hand of Providence that He directed his foot- 
steps thither. When he was come into the presence of his 
relative he exclaimed : “It is well met that we are, some 


282 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


strange destiny has brought us face to face. Wherefore 
shouldst thou not tell me of my parentage ? It is the will 
of God.’’ 

“From whence art thou, Carl ? It maketh these old eyes 
glad to see thee once more. How left thou those I love in 
Dantima? I ask thee this question because I learned 
indirectly that thou and thine had removed thither.” 

“Mother is fairly in good health; father still dreameth 
his life away in vain pursuits; both of them have sad 
hearts because the Widow Deycourt pineth herself away 
in regrets. She hath shrunken to a shadow of her woman- 
hood. We blame thee for this, and deplore the hard- 
ness of thy heart that refuseth to listen to the pleadings 
of mercy.” 

“They told me that the Widow Deycourt was in Italy.” 
A steely glitter came into her cold, gray eyes as she re- 
peated this in a hushed whisper. “I wot not that she is 
so near. I tell thee again, Carl, that the knowledge thou 
seeketh is to thy undoing. It will come to thee soon 
enough. In a fortnight thou shalt know all to thy filling.” 

Her nephew understood not the purport of her speech. 
In his heart he rejoiced that through his efforts a recon- 
ciliation had come about, while she understanding not the 
exuberance of his spirits, wondered that he should feel 
so elated at her manner of making such a promise. 

With a lighter heart he journeyed to Dantima. He 
hummed little love ditties, and thought how fairly he 
would stand in the eyes of the maiden he loved. She 
would relent, and renew the promise she made to him. 
He thought thus because he posed as a peacemaker, the 
family would be reunited, and the past would be forgot- 
ten. He spake not of his visit to his aunt to anyone, and 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


203 


waited from day to day for the answer that she had prom- 
ised to him. 

When Carl bade his aunt good-bye she drew from its 
case the precious Holy Bible — it was precious because 
it cost, in those days, a goodly number of pounds sterling. 
She opened the book without intention. The parting of 
the pages therefore disclosed the teachings of the Mosaic 
law. The pages were thumb-marked by constant refer- 
ence thereto, yet were the pages of the New Testatment 
a sealed treasure that her humanity had not so rrunch as 
investigated. 

The reading thereof strengthened her resolution as she 
muttered : “She hath brought woe to my heart, why 
should I spare her for the family’s sake?” She strode to 
the closet from whence she had taken the Bible, and drew 
from thence the glass box that the alchemist had tested, 
and straightway went forth to accuse her o\Yn sister of 
murder. 

It was an easy matter to find a barrister of the King’s 
bench ; it was an easy matter to lay this evidence before 
the prosecuting officer ; it was an easy matter to issue the 
warrant for her sister’s arrest. 

It was not an easy matter to undo the deed that had 
such a strange ending. When the scales fell from her 
eyes, then would she see the wisdom of adversity, but it 
would come to her when it was too late. The day after 
her visit to the barrister a bailiff of the law rode to Dan- 
tima, and in the name of the Commonwealth arrested 
the widow Deycourt and locked her in the gloomy prison 
house of Dantima. 

This calamity fell heavily upon the persecuted family. 
The burghers that formerly detested the widow now ral- 
lied to her support. Her cell was furnished with all of 
the comforts of home. Florette and Nattie were with her 


284 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


constantly. Yet was the prisoner closely guarded. Carl 
was frantic with grief and rage. He now understood the 
part he had played in bringing misfortune to Florette’s 
mother. In his anger he cursed his aunt, and pleaded with 
Florette for forgiveness. “Canst thou forget this un- 
happy thing that I have done ?” Carl pleaded in a broken- 
hearted way. 

“Foolish boy, did I not plead with thee that thou go not 
to London? And straightway thou goest from my pres- 
ence to inform thy cruel-hearted aunt of our presence in 
England.” 

“Why use such a subterfuge if thy mother be innocent? 
If thy cause is just, fear not thou the world, unless the 
English law is ill administered. I believe that thy fears 
overmaster thee.” 

“Dost thou remember, Carl, how diligently Nattie 
sought for papers in yon Custom House? Wot ye not 
what such findings meant ? Had we found that for which 
we sought, how eagerly would we have challenged this 
revengeful woman to the li.st of justice.” 

“Alas, I do but stumble in the pathway of destiny. Thy 
mother is innocent, yet for lack of this evidence will she 
suffer the penalty of the law. I will ride straight to Lon- 
don and tell this aunt of mine that thou hast such evi- 
dence. Then will she withdraw the charges. If she will 
remain stubborn, seek thou in flight the safety that shall 
cheat the law.” 

“For shame, Carl! thinkest thou that we would do so 
damnable a thing? Now, such conduct would jeopardize 
our cause, which is just in God’s eyes. The end will come 
quickly, and God be with the innocent, is my prayer.” 

“When will the trial be set? Hast thou legal advice? 
Should an unhappy ending come of my meddling, then 
death to me will be a welcome visitor.” 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


285 


CHAPTER XXL 

THE king's messenger HAS A STRANGE ADVENTURE. 

Sir Jasper's heart smote him as he listened to the ad- 
vice of the seer, whose future visionings saw the barren- 
ness of the route that was before the Englishman. For 
this reason he reasoned with Callisto in this manner : 

“Remain thou with this good man. Thy forbearance 
has been wonderful up to this point. We have traveled 
over well-beaten tracks, where water and provisions were 
to be had for the price of gold. Whither I go is far from 
the haunts of caravans. The privations that lead to 
destiny are beset with dangers that will overtax thy 
strength.” 

“Dost thou falter in thy allegiance to me ? Or is it that 
thou tirest of her who would not live without the sun- 
shine of thy existence. Death in yon desert were better 
than the anxiety thy absence would bring to me. Say no 
more, for I am resolved to bear the burden of thy hard- 
ships, be they much much or little.” 

“Thou hast a brave companion in yon tender stripling. 
Say her not nay, I beseech thee, but go forward on thy 
journey. Hold ! fill thy water bags to overflowing from 
yon cistern. Here is a bag of dried goats’ meat and the 
dates ; eat sparingly of what thou hast. Travel thou by 
the light of the stars and sleep thou during the day. Thou 
wilt not need the assistance of thy magnetized needle; 
the letter on thy breast will guide thee when thou hast 
traversed fully one-half of the way. And now, farewell. 
May Allah be with thee.” 

When the aged man had thus spoken he withdrew to 


286 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


his labors. The travelers picked their way through the 
ruins, and moved off in a northeasterly direction. They 
were guided by the needle and the stars through wastes 
of sand that were destitute of vegetation. No cooling 
oasis tempered the severity of their undertaking. Thrice 
daily he swept this ocean of desolation for some hope for 
the morrow. The glass gave ever the same flat field of 
view. Not even a cactus plant gladdened their eyes, to 
tickle the palates of their faithful beasts. 

The fiery rays of the sun parched the voyagers’ tongues 
until they were swollen and feverish. They were even 
tempted to drain the water in the goat-skin bags. The 
handsful of dried grass with which they fed the donkeys 
were moistened with water, that the brutes might not 
sink from exhaustion. Their braying startled the silence 
of this vast plain. The sand became so hot that their feet 
were blistered. 

“Light of my life, these many days have we journeyed, 
and yet the end is not in sight. We can neither escape by 
advancing, nor can we escape by retracing our steps ; 
our tomb will be roomy enough.” 

“Say not so,” replied Sir Jasper, “we can kill the don- 
keys for food, and press forward on foot. We have tra- 
versed one-half of the distance. This character on my 
breast speaks to me in no uncertain tones ; and I bethink 
me that some coolness cometh to us from the north. The 
blessed dew gathered pn the clean piece of linen that I 
placed upon the rock. The character of the surface over 
which we have come is changing, to the betterment of our 
position.”. 

“Nay, kill not these faithful beasts of burden that have 
eased the hardships of our travel. Allah has provided for 
our wants that the animals may live. Didst thou notice 


287 


A CHEQ UERED DESTINY. 

the strange birds that shyly skim the horizon? There is 
a mole that this bird feedeth upon, and this mole feedeth 
upon grass nuts hereabouts.’’ 

“How provident is thy wit, thou stripling, as the aged 
man called thee. Yet will we not need these treasures 
that would feed the starving. I see in the distance a long, 
low streak that may be land ; or it may be a bank of clouds. 
The glass bringeth it not near that we may better investi- 
gate. Two days journey will bring us thither.” 

The third day they reached this unknown land that was 
not charted on the maps. The civilization astonished 
them. The verdure was broken here and there by the 
plow of the husbandman. Groves of trees dotted the land- 
scape. It was an oasis of large proportions. The strange 
character was everywhere. These interchanges of 
thought were interrupted by the approach of a squadron 
of superbly mounted horsemen, whose barbaric splendor 
was phenomenal. 

“Callisto, speak thou to them, that we may make 
known our wishes.” 

“Light of my life, they speak no tongue known to me.” 

When they drew nearer, the chieftan placed his riders 
upon each side of Sir Jasper and his companion. In 
silence they moved through the strange city, where 
the streets were circles that widened as the distance from 
the temple increased. The soldiers kept the curious sub- 
jects back until a pavilion was lowered from the wall, in 
which they were seated. Then they were elevated to the 
top of this enclosure. 

“Callisto, my good girl, we are prisoners. Play thou 
the slave’s part. I will beat thee ; do thou cry out in pain 
that all may hear thy screams.” 

Callisto gave her companion a grateful pressure of the 


238 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


hand, and in wonderment exclaimed : “Didst thou- note 
the hundreds of pillar-porticoes that shade the sidewalks ? 
Carven serpents are wrought upon the columns every- 
where. What strange god do these worship ? Look thou 
within ; I see no temple. The great square is ornamented 
with fountains, walks and strange flowers that have no 
perfume. Yet are they rich in their coloring. These feed 
upon insects. I see no homes within these walls. Ten 
galleries, tier on tier, rise from the bottom of the en- 
closure even unto the top. The inhabitants live in con- 
tinuous apartments that stretch along these verandas.” 

“Callisto, didst thou note the outside of the wall that 
towereth aloft fully two hundred feet? It is of polished 
porphyry. The white crystals of feldspar look like flakes 
of snow upon a dark background of purple. The joints of 
the blocks fit so truly that the eye cannot perceive a break 
in the lustrous surface.” 

While this conversation was progressing they were 
waiting for the chief to return. At a signal from him, 
the pavilion was lowered on the inside to the third tier of 
galleries. They were blindfolded and led by the hands 
along the passageways, thence down winding stairways 
to a chamber, where they were left to themselves. The 
silken scarf was removed from the eyes of each. The 
light that reached them was reflected light that came from 
a hundred mirrors set in the walls. 

“Callisto, the astrologer is right. Never yet have these 
eyes of mine beheld such magnificence. I have seen king’s 
palaces. This surpasses them all. The combined cost of 
ten English castles would not pay for the furnishing of 
this apartment. As thou seest, the letter is everywhere.” 

“Light of my life,” Callisto remarked, “there are thy 
robes sparkling with precious gems. The perfumed bath 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


289 


awaiteth thee. It will be scant ablution that will remove 
the dust of travel from my body. I wish not to wear 
these costly gewgaws that will enhance the beauty that is 
thine. Rather will I stain with a deeper stain my flesh, 
that I may not be separated from thee.” 

“Wise art thou for thy years. When I cough violently 
do thou place the vessel of gold to my lips. I know not 
who this ruler be. Whether it be a king or a queen, I 
know not, neither care I ; they shall not part thee from me, 
my good girl. So wipe thine eyes and be ready, for the 
royal servitor approacheth. We will go forward to meet 
our fate.” 

They moved through a wilderness of arches and halls 
unto the throne room. 

The Moorish architecture of a score of palaces had 
been worked into this vast hall. The effect was bewild- 
ering. The brocaded curtains, ottomans and rugs rivaled 
in matchless perfection the mosaic pavements, over which 
they walked in slippered feet. The beautiful native 
women that stood in a semi-circle around the throne 
bowed with the precision of automatons as Sir Jasper ad- 
vanced to the flight of marble steps that reached to the 
canopied seat whereon sat the ruler of this strange 
kingdom. 

He felt the grotesqueness of his position as he bended 
gallantly forward and made his obeisance to the most 
beautiful woman he had ever seen. Yet no word came 
from his lips. He would have given his earldom for an 
interpreter. He coughed violently; this brought Callisto 
to his side, who presented the golden vessel, filled with 
English wine. He sipped the draught and returned the 
cup to his kneeling slave without so much as noticing her. 

A merry laugh from the lips of the Queen relieved the 


290 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


awkwardness of the scene, as she spoke in good English 
and said: “Thou hast come to me at last, thou of my 
mark; welcome to our strange estate that is a transition 
between life and death.. Thou comest to me in the flesh. 
As I visit the living in the spirit, art thou incredulous? 
Look around thee. What thou seest may vanish before 
thine eyes and be as the dust of the desert.” 

He was confused at this strange manner of speech. 
“I am bewildered, thou gloriously beautiful woman. This 
is a land of mysteries where everything is unreal. I come, 

0 thou strange ruler, that this letter may be removed, that 
hath brought to me woe only. Where, O Queen! hast 
thou the English manner of speech? I marvel that thou 
speaketh so well.” 

“Wot ye not that Dantima is under the potency of my 
spell. Thou didst enter the charmed circle, and thou 
hast come into thy kingdom. I am thy queen, thou art 
my king. The stars have so marked it on the dial of 
time. Thy horoscope is my horoscope. Love’s power 
hath banished space and here thou art. Hadst thou not 
killed my slaves that I sent to conduct thee hither, how 
many weary miles hadst thou shortened ? For ages have 

1 thus lived, neither an inhabitant of the earth nor a 
spirit in space. Thy coming will free me from this 
strange existence. Dost thou wonder that thy presence 
bringeth joy to me?” 

Sir Jasper knew not how to answer this declaration of 
love that brought sorrow to Callisto’s heart. 

Seeing that she looked intently at Callisto, he coughed 
violently and motioned to his slave to approach. Upon 
her knees Callisto presented her companion with the 
preparation that was English wine. He knew that the 
Koran prohibited the use of wine ; for this reason he used 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


2igi 

the liquor, that the wily Mohammedans might be thor- 
oughly deceived. 

With a haughty wave of his hand, he dismissed his 
attendant, who thereupon retired six paces and stood at 
a respectful attention. Turning to Callisto, Sir Jasper 
exclaimed : “This is a slave that I purchased in Alex- 
andria. She hath a great knowledge of the healing art, 
and hath the secret of herbs that is wonderful. My life 
dependeth upon her skill, as thou hast seen. 

“Give me, I pray thee, thy good offices, that this cursed 
letter be removed from my breast; then will I make my 
devotions to Allah for thee. This strange character that 
none knew of in England hath brought me only sorrow 
and miles of weary travel.” 

“Call not the sign cursed, else thou hast the full meas- 
ure of our displeasure. The astrologer told thee of its 
meaning, how then can it be that I have the power to 
remove it, since the stars tell their eternal story and thou 
standeth before the fulfillment of their promise.” 

“I pray thee. Most Gracious Queen, to hasten the time 
that I may stand in the shadow of sparkling Venus lest 
the influence should be a waning power, and eight weary 
years come and go ere the chance cometh to me again.” 

“Be thou not uneasy ; thou hast yet eight full moons ere 
the time be come. I cannot say to thee nay, for a higher 
power hath decreed that the character shall be removed. 
I will send a thribble score of Mamelukes to the oasis, 
that they may bring thee to me again. Didst thou see the 
height of the wall that surrounds my palace? Thou wilt 
never escape. I am the Priestess of the Sun. Go to thy 
rest now, for thou art wearied with thy long journey.” 

These visitors of the desert retired as courteously as 
tl:ey entered. When they came to their apartments Sir 


292 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


Jasper fell into a melancholy mood. The far-away shores 
of Old England, with their tender memories, came to 
him just as so many mocking ghosts would come. Thus 
dreaming, he slept. He could hear the melody of a hun- 
dred harps as the moments sped by. Was he again in the 
great city of Petra, with its teeming population. When 
he awoke, Callisto was waving a superb fan over his face ; 
a fan of peacock feathers, bordered with ostrich plumes. 

“Callisto,” he said, “was I dreaming the music of the 
harps came to me again? Did my soul leave my body 
for the nonce? Did I selfishly sleep, and thou weary? 
Sleep thou in thy turn and I will wave the strange eyes 
that have a golden setting in the feathers.” 

“Nay, not so, thou light of my eyes, unless thou wouldst 
have me torn from thy side forever. I liked not the cruel 
look that came into the eyes of yon Queen. She hath a 
jealous heart. For this reason thou must play the part of 
a cruel master. The music of the harps cameth from the 
musicians that are hidden behind yon embroidered 
tapestry. Speak thou in a low tone of voice. The Queen 
may catch the meaning of thy speech ; then what availeth 
thy purposes?” 

A full six months drifted by. The luxury that sur- 
rounded them surfeited Sir Jasper, who would have 
yielded it all for a good English meal. The travelers 
marveled at this strange people that idled eternity away 
in a most profligate manner. TJhey had no bazaars within 
the palace walls ; no trading, no commerce. Yet was the 
wealth fabulous. Want was unknown. They had no de- 
votions, but bowed to the images of entwined serpents 
that were everywhere. The thought came to the im- 
prisoned nobleman that this beautiful woman was the 
original Eve, and the spot the site of the Garden of Eden. 


293 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 

The lack of living force made them act like automatons 
that had no souls. 

The Queen had thus far made little advance in her woo- 
ing. She sat with him for hours and never tired of listen- 
ing to the descriptions of the manners and customs of his 
native land. The approach of winter and the formation 
of ice and snow was a revelation to her. The solemn 
music that was wafted from Dantima made her shudder. 
An illy defined dread made her wish that the trip to the 
oasis was ended. Much to the nobleman’s relief, she made 
preparations for the journey. Yet was she minded to 
keep Callisto as a pledge of his return. 

She did this to prove the love that Sir Jasper had for 
his slave. A look from Callisto warned him. By this 
sign he made answer that he made no objection to this 
arrangement. Yet he explained to her that her presence 
was an assurance of his health, which the Queen, by 
reason of a previous interview, well understood. This 
last point gained, they made speedy arrangements to leave 
on the morrow. 

The wanderers of the desert again found themselves 
standing in the shadow of the great wall. The sun was 
on the eastern side. 

Sir Jasper was superbly mounted upon a black Arabian 
steed, whose well-groomed sides glistened in the rays of 
the sun like so much jet. His belongings were securely 
strapped behind him. Callisto rode by his side. Ample 
provision for their wants had been made. Guided by 
the compass, they made a good day’s journey and rested 
for the night under the ample Arabian tents, that gave 
them great comfort. 

The soldiers conversed in an unknown tongue. Yet 
did they keep vigilant watch over their prisoner as day 


294 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


by day shortened the distance between the nobleman and 
the oasis where the fatal letter was to be removed. Sir 
Jasper thought until his head ached of some plan whereby 
he might elude the vigilance of his guards, who had never 
heard a gun fired. It is true they handled these firearms, 
yet did they not know of their use. 

The troop was fatigued by the sandy stretch of desola- 
tion that was now behind them. They were on the cara- 
van routes where another danger threatened them. The 
fierce Bedouins swarmed on this part of the trail. Thus 
far they met with none of these robber bands. Sir Jasper 
with his spy-glass observed the oasis ahead of him. Turn- 
ing to Callisto, he said : “By the morrow in the after- 
noon we will be in the shade of its trees, and yet no means 
of our deliverance suggests itself to m.e.” 

Allah mercifully influenced their escape. He saw with 
his telescope the Bedouins approach. They came like the 
breath of the wind. The wide circle drew nearer. The 
cowardly Mamelukes were terror stricken as the swift ar- 
rows of the foemen whistled about their ears. Their 
scimitars were useless. Consequently they fled in every 
direction, pursued by these terrible savages. Fully a score 
of them galloped straight towards the Englishman and his 
companion. It was the effort of a moment to unsling 
his gun and shoot down the foremost leader. The atmos- 
phere was in that peculiar condition where the report of 
the gun had a hundred echoes. 

The robbers gave a great shout of dismay and galloped 
away. Thus the two were alone with the oasis near to 
them. Sir Jasper gazed stupidly at the brave girl who 
was wounded by an arrow. He rushed hurriedly to her 
side. She fell into his arms as one that was dead. In his 
rage he shook his fist at the south where the Bedouins had 


295 


A CHEQUERED DEST INY. 

disappeared, and bended over the dying Callisto, whose 
life was ebbing away. He muttered in anguish : 

“Thou mortally wounded, and I knew it not. Thou 
didst not cry out with the pain. Merciful God ! how can 
I lose thee now, and the victory won. My soul is rent 
with sorrow.” 

“It is the will of Allah. Oh! my beloved, all of the 
happiness that my poor life ere knew was passed in thy 
company. Nay, do not put me from thee, hold me stead- 
fastly in thy arms that the last flicker of my breath may 
pray for thee. Kiss my lips while they are yet warm, that 
the last love light of my eyes may light thy journey to thy 
home. I will be with thee always in the spirit. When 
thou hearest the whiz of an arrow and the twang of a 
bow string, then will I stand by thy side ; the touch of my 
hands will soothe thee.” 

Then said the dying girl no more. She was dead. In 
his grief he noted not the passing of the shadow of the 
star, yet felt he the strange character come away from his 
breast. The torment of a lifetime was removed. The 
joy he felt was sanctified by the death of Callisto. He 
buried her in the ruins and gathered he a great pile of 
stones, which he heaped upon her tomb, that the hyenas 
might not rob him of the empty casket from which the 
jewel had been taken. 

With the provisions that Callisto had so thoughtfully 
provided, he rode fiercely away. The superior mettle 
of his Arabian horse carried him fast and far on his 
journey to Alexandria. A score of dangers beset him. 
Yet did the gun with its loud detonations frighten the 
Bedouins. Guided by the needle of the compass, he 
reached the bungalow on the shore of Gulf of Suez. Here 
he rested for the space of three days, crossed the Isthmus, 


296 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


and reached Alexandria, where he was recognized, but 
the absence of the blazing letter saved his life. Yet was 
he imprisoned in the dungeon with all of its filth and 
darkness. His gold that Callisto had saved stood in the 
place of a friend. He was liberated. Without loss of time 
he boarded an Italian vessel bound for Rome. No further 
adventure coming to him, he landed in the Eternal City. 
The English colony had broken up. For this reason he 
hurriedly embarked for England. 

He arrived in London almost penniless, friendless and 
unknown. Some strange impressment came to him as he 
trudged on foot to Dantima. The whiz of an arrow 
startled hirh as he sat by the highway in the shade. The 
thought came to him that some bold archer was sending 
a shaft in his direction. He felt that some subtle influ- 
ence was by his side ; an influence that came as a premon- 
ition. Then a new idea dawned upon his brain. 

It was yet a half score of leagues to Dantima. The 
mind came to him to rest for the night in the woods and 
reach the burgh by noon of the following day ; yet was he 
so impressed by the influence of Callisto’s presence that 
he walked all night, and reached the gateway just as the 
sun was rising. Even while he halted the gate swung 
backwards upon its hinges, and without questioning any 
one he met he went straightway to the monastery. 

Most of his brothers had been transferred elsewhere or 
had passed away ; yet was Father Leonard spared to him. 
Right joyful was the greeting that he received from this 
aged abbot, whose form was bent with age, whose mem- 
ory was vivid and clear. When the embraces were come 
to an end Sir Jasper eagerly asked : “Doth Florette still 
live? If she liveth, then is she married?” The smile on 
his companion’s face brought happiness to his heart. The 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


297 


benevolent features that pity truthfully stamped with its 
own seal was abeam with happiness. 

“Nay, my son, be thou not downcast. She whom thou 
lovest liveth ; yet is her heart sorrowful for the misfortune 
of her mother. Thri:e the maiden had wed Carl but for 
the malice of the sister of the mother who cried in a loud 
voice: ‘I forbid this marriage!’ Yet is Florette’s heart 
true to thee. Thou gavest us a fright. Thy soul person 
came to us disguised as a heathen Turk. It is yet early ; 
they at the cliff are not risen. Tell to me the strange hap- 
pening.” 

Rapidly the traveler related the visit to Petra, and the 
history of the strange old man with the robe of black, 
covered with the letters of silver that adorned his per- 
son. “ ’Tis passing strange that that thou relatest. Go 
to her, I will not detain thee, my son, and may heaven’s 
blessing rest upon thee and the maiden.” 

“Nay, not so, my father ; I wish not for a repetition of 
the letter that brought me such woe and gave to me miles 
of weary travel. Go thou and tell her that someone wish- 
eth speech with her.” 

“It will not be necessary, my son, she will be at the 
grotto for her confessions. Thou forgetteth that these 
old legs have not the strength to bear me hence ; the path- 
way is rugged and steep. 

“Get thee away, the maiden is e’en now awaiting the 
coming of a brother monk. Break the news to her gently, 
for sorrow hath made but a sorry mending of her nerves. 
Stay! I must tell thee that her mother is even now in 
prison on the charge of murder. God sent thee in time ; 
away to the glen quickly.” 

He had the sacred robes of his priesthood on him, yet 
lacked his gait that dignity that befitted his calling. 


298 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


When he had come near to the presence of Florette she 
marveled greatly at the length of his step and wondered 
at the haste that was unseemly. A great wave of love 
overpowered her ; she leaned against the rocks that formed 
the grotto and placed one hand upon her heart as if to 
still its tumultuous beating. She could do nothing but 
hold out the other in a pleading way as she sighed : “Thou 
hast come to me at last. God has answered my prayer.” 

There in the silent glen lover and maid clung to each 
other as if the years were young. “Oh ! father lover, how 
thy coming hath made a smith3^’s hammer of my heart. 
The breath cometh to me in pain. Sit here by my side 
until I feel stronger. Yet thou wearest the cowl and hood, 
and the letter is gone. Now I bethink me that thou didst 
show to me the Pope’s dispensation in Rome; then why 
dost thou still cling to the robes ?” 

“ ’Twas the wish of Father Leonard. Pie feared the ef- 
fect of my sudden coming to thee, and thou didst recog- 
nize me with it all. How have the years served thee? 
Tell me briefly, and forget thou the story as thou tellest 
it, lest sorrow mar the happiness that is ours. Thou hast 
not changed,” he said. “Thy face is still fair to look 
upon.” 

“I wonder that it is fair to look upon, for misfortune 
hath been a constant companion since thy departure. We 
forfeited the ownership of Ashton Park through the 
tongue of evil report. Through some irregularity my 
mother’s first marriage could not be proven to the satis- 
faction of the court. We gave up the property and moved 
here, where we have lived quietly ever since. 

“To continue : As thou knowest, we came hither to find 
this evidence in yon Custom House. We were partially 
successful ; we found the sailor’s kit ; the sailor who is 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


299 


my father ; yet was a bundle of letters missing and a gold 
marriage ring. My mother is even now in the dungeon 
of Dantima charged with the crime of murder. Her sis- 
ter chargeth her with poisoning this sailor. For a week 
hath the testimony 'gone against my mother; yet is she 
innocent as an angel from heaven.’' 

“What is thy own father’s name? A strange remem- 
brance cometh to me that I will relate to thee when thou 
hast given me the knowledge that I seek.” 

“Francis Englebert is his name. His ashes repose in 
yon old graveyard. We know this, because the ancient 
parish register so telleth it. His kit is yet in the Custom 
House.” 

“ ’Tis strange, that which thou tellest me. On the 
banks of the Gulf of Suez an Englishman died whose 
name is a duplicate of the one that thou givest to me. 
Didst thou ever see this strangely constructed finger ring? 
The dying man placed it upon my hand that I might re- 
member to deliver to the proper person the bundle of let- 
ters that goeth with it. Hast thou ere cast thine eyes on 
this bauble before this time ?” 

“The golden band is not familiar to my eyes. The writ- 
ten characters of the letters on the bauble are well known 
to me, for the reason that I assisted my brother Nattie to 
overhaul the evidence he brought hither from the Custom 
House.” 

“If this is the package thou seeketh then is my mission 
a blessing.” He said this as he carefully removed each 
wrapping of oiled skin from the brown and discolored 
papers and handed the bunch to Florette, who fell to sob- 
bing when her glances rested for a moment on the writ- 
ing. 

“Is it for joy thou weepest?” he said, as he smoothed 


300 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


the disorder of her locks. ^‘So it seemeth that which ap- 
peared to be a misfortune to me was a blessing to thee, 
since thy mother’s honor, nay, even her life, is saved.” 

'‘Give these into my keeping, loved of my heart, and 
thou shalt see justice done and a monstrous wrong 
righted. Our barrister from London is here, besides 
other legal lights at the bench. These papers will I place 
in his hands that he may sift the evidence and make the 
most of it.” 

“The hour is twelve. Here have we selfishly mingled 
happiness and thought not of the joy that awaiteth her 
that lingereth in duress vile. Go thou to the monastery 
and await the pleasure of the court. There will I keep 
thee cpmpany, for it paineth me to part from thee for a 
single moment.” 

As he moved away she called him and playfully re- 
marked : “Father lover, thou hast forgotten something.” 

“In good truth, have I overlooked the price of my mis- 
sion. ’Twas the sorrow of thy mother that absorbed my 
memory.” Saying this, he placed his open hands one on 
each side of her face and kissed her with reverent sweet- 


ness. 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


301 


CHAPTER XXII. 

THE king's messenger RETURNS TO DANTIMA. 

The Widow Deycourt was out on bail and forthwith 
returned to her home. 

The ancient town of Dantima had never seen such 
things, neither had they been invaded by such a great 
company of gentlefolk from London. Each house was 
a hostelry where hospitality was dispensed. The legal 
talent from abroad had given to the case a wide notoriety, 
hence the multitude that crowded the court was to the 
discomfort of all. 

Upon one side of the room sat the mother of Florette. 
The widow was seated in the prisoner’s dock surrounded 
by those that loved her. The lines of grief had settled 
with a subdued grace upon her gentle features. Her 
modest bearing made friends in the audience. A quiet 
hush was over all, even the breathing of the spectators 
was audible as the Justice of the Commonwealth’s bench 
brought the gavel down v/ith a low rap on the arm of 
his great chair. 

The judge ran his glances over the assemblage. There 
was a kindly expression on his face that set forth from 
the wig and silken gown like unto the pictures one sees 
in halls of justice. With a great flourish of authority 
the cryer bawled: “In Cromwell’s name I now declare 
this court duly opened for such business as may come 
before it.” 

The justice, in a kindly though firm voice, demanded: 
“Prisoner at the bench, what sayest thou, guilty or not 
guilty?” 


302 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


“Not guilty, your honor.” She said this in a manner 
that brought forth from the audience a burst of applause 
which was instantly checked by sharp raps from the 
gavel. 

The barristers sat on opposite sides of a long table and 
methodically arranged their briefs. The low hum of con- 
versation between them was interrupted by the Common- 
wealth’s prosecutor who asked the first witness: 

“What is thy name? and where dost thou reside?” 

“My name is Anna Englebert. I am a sister to the 
murdered man. I reside in London.” 

“Why dost thou bring this terrible accusation ? Is not 
yon prisoner thy sister by marriage ? According to these 
papers thou chargeth her with poisoning her own hus- 
band. What was the motive for the crime?” 

“That which thou asketh I know not. It is the evidence 
that she gave him arsenic that I wish to introduce.” Say- 
ing this she produced the porcelain box from the folds 
of her silk bodice and handed it to the Comonwealth’s 
prosecutor; then she readjusted her Elizabethian ruffle 
and sat down. 

“Suppose this is arsenic, what proof hast thou that the 
Widow Deycourt administered this fatal drug to her hus- 
band?” 

“The drug that is in the box came from the stomach 
of the dead man; the part that-remaineth was found in 
the possession of the accused.” The prisoner at the bench 
arose, and with gentle dignity exclaimed: “Thy speech 
is as false as thy miserable heart.” Having delivered her- 
self of this answer she sank back in her seat and wept. 
This interruption created some confusion, which the Chief 
Justice promptly silenced and said: “Let the testimony 
proceed.” 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


303 


^Thou hast not answered my interrogatory. I will re- 
peat my request. ‘What proof has thou that the Widow 
Deycourt administered this fatal drug to her husband ?’ 
When he had so spoken his keen gray eyes looked in- 
tently on her face. 

This disconcerted the witness for a moment. Then, as 
if she had made some mental resolution, she answered: 
“My sister, Ella Oakley, told me this.” 

“Upon such testimony thou hast brought this terrible 
arraignment. Where is thy sister that she may testify? 
The Commonwealth must be satisfied in this matter of 
evidence.” 

“She liveth on the border of Scotland, three days’ good 
journey hence. I would that she were here, for I knew 
not so many tangling questions would be asked me. I like 
not this vexatious parleying.” 

“My good woman, the life of yon gentle woman is 
trembling in the balance.” 

“Your honor, may it please thee to adjourn this bench 
until this evidence is forthcoming ; my deputies have acted 
hastily without sifting the truth.” 

When the court was adjourned officers of the law were 
sent post haste to summons the aforesaid Ella Oakley. 
Carl thereupon mounted his animal ; by nearer routes he 
gained a day on the deputies and reached the cottage that 
had sheltered him in former times. He found his aunt 
and informed her of the criminal proceedings that had 
been instituted against the Widow Deycourt. 

“Tell to me, my aunt, if thou knowest that Florette’s 
mother administered the arsenic that killed her first hus- 
band? Four deputies are even now on the way hither to 
bring thee to court in Dantima. My relative that makes 
the charge said that she had this evidence from thee.” 


304 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


'‘Oh! Carl, hath she done this ungodly thing? I am 
undone if they bring me thither, because I know it only 
by hearsay. Thy aunt, the duchess, told me this ; I know 
not if it be true.” 

“Auntie, this is distressing. I came to warn thee. Thy 
answer giveth me pain. Nay ! nay I thou canst not fly to 
Scotland; it is too late. I could kill myself for the dis- 
grace that is upon us. Oh ! this foolish old woman, better 
a thousand times that she had died.” ^ 

The deputies came up at a sharp trot and served the 
papers upon the woman. The two females would have 
sought the protection of the secret passages, but Carl per- 
suaded them to mount and ride to Dantima, which place 
they reached without further delay. 

The bench resumed its sittings promptly. Ella Oakley 
was in the witness box pale with fear and anxiety. The 
calm, cold voice of the prosecutor asked her : “Thy name 
is Ella Oakley, so I am informed. What proof hast thou 
to bring before his honor that the prisoner gave her late 
husband arsenic?” 

“Sir,” she said with a trembling voice, “I know it only 
from hearsay. My cousin, the duchess, that formerly 
owned Ashton Park, stated as much to me. This is all 
that I know of the case.” 

The Commonwealth’s prosecutor raised his right hand 
and silence was in the temple of justice. “May it please 
your honor to issue a warrant for the appearance of the 
duchess. The law must be vindicated.” 

Ella Oakley thereupon arose and answered in this wise : 
“The lady thou wouldst summon hither has been gone 
for years ; I know' not whether she be living or whether 
she be dead.” 

An awkward silence came upon the court. The mill of 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


305 


justice ceased to grind. The prosecutor fumbled with 
the papers before him, and then called the accuser to the 
stand. “My good woman, I say good woman because 
thou hast thy Book of Holy Writ with thee, who fur- 
nished thee with the contents of this box? and who held 
the post-mortem examination?” 

“A chemist from London, and may it please thee, I 
have since that time had the contents of the box ana- 
lyzed.” 

“Where liveth the chemist that first analyzed this half- 
digested food ; we will summon him at once that this Com- 
monwealth may not be at further expense.” 

“Alas, sir! he has passed away long since. Hast thou 
not the. certificate of this fact before thee? Thou hast 
also the legal proof that the post-mortem examination was 
duly held.” 

“My good woman, upon examining these documents, 
I find that they are not legally correct. The seal is want- 
ing, and the witnesses to the signatures are non-residents 
of England. The notary hath not affixed his name in 
legal form, for this reason thy evidence is worthless.” 

The iron nerves of the stately dame were not affected 
by this information as she replied : “Call to the stand the 
alchemist of Dantima. He liveth and will corroborate 
that which I have stated.” 

Carl’s father came forward, and with his son’s help 
ascended the low steps that placed the chemist before 
the bench. The Commonwealth’s examiner looked du- 
biously at this witness whose unkempt locks and neglected 
person bespoke one who had studied deeply. “Tell me, 
my good man, didst thou examine the contents of this 
porcelain box?” 

“Truly did I do so. By three tests found I arsenic 


3o6 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


enough mixed with the half-digested food to kill four 
men. This is the same box that hath the peculiar mark- 
ings on the lid. I cannot be mistaken.'’' 

“Who brought this to thee, aged man, that it might 
be analyzed? Hast thou a license or commission from 
the late King Charles or from the Lord Protector of 
England to carry on such a business ?” 

“The accuser who sitteth yonder. I asked for no license 
because my investigations go forward in a different line. 
It is true that chemistry is the groundwork of my al- 
chemy that is of myself and by myself and for myself. 
I thus interfere with no man’s calling.” 

“What effect would this deadly drug have in the pres- 
ervation of the tissues of a dead body? To make my 
question plainer, would the poison keep the corpse from 
decaying ?” 

“The poison would most certainly arrest the decay of 
the tissues of such a body. The lapse of years would 
make no difference.” 

“This is all that thou knowest of this case, then stand 
aside.” 

“Had I known that this evidence was obtained for evil 
intent it had not gone from my laboratory.” 

Then followed the testimony for the defense of the 
prisoner. 

Nattie was placed in the witness box. The counselor 
from London thus questioned the young man: “Hast 
thou seen these papers before this day of thy mother’s 
trial?” 

“Yes, sir ; for two years I sought for them in the Cus- 
tom House of Dantima. I found the kit of a sailor who 
is my step-father ; yet did I not find the certificate of my 
mother’s marriage to this sailor, yet found I the parish 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


307 


register in the ruins of the ancient chapel in the grave- 
yard that surmounts the hill.” 

“Is this the parchment that giveth the date of the mar- 
riage? if so, make a display that the jury may see the 
record.” 

The prosecutor arose and objected: “Your honor, 
this hath little to do with this criminal charge; rather 
should the civil courts accept such evidence.” 

“Your honor, I wish to show a motive for this murder 
that hath been unjustly fastened upon my client. This 
ancient dame hath said that my client and her husband 
were not legally married. Now, why did she say such a 
thing? Simply because the Widow Deycourt inherited 
Ashton Park through her first husband, who was lawfully 
seized of the same. If they were not legally wedded then 
had my client no just title to the property. 

“Further, I have an idea that the duchess is the crim- 
inal. I make this assertion because, in examining the 
papers that placed my client in possession of Ashton 
Park, I found forgeries in the signatures and other ir- 
regularities that made me doubt the honesty of her pur- 
poses.” 

This testimony being admitted as evidence, the coun- 
selor continued: “Show to these gentlemen of the jury 
a plat of the graveyard ; place thy finger on record where 
he, the dead sailor, is buried.” Turning to the twelve 
men that had the life of the widow in their custody, he 
said: “Why should this poor woman wish to take the 
life of her husband? It is true that he had a roving dis- 
position and was fond of adventure. This fact does not 
prove that they lived unhappily together. Again, the 
prosecution hath not brought forward a single particle 
of evidence to prove that my client committed the deed. 


3o8 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


It is to be deplored that this widow’s life should be a 
continuous series of misfortunes because the tongue of 
evil report hath belied her.” 

The prosecutor answered this harangue to the jury 
' thus: 

“These papers prove nothing. Produce the marriage 
certificate. The fact that this dead seaman was a rover 
should prove to any reasonable mind that his home life 
was not happy.” 

“Your honor, I will not only prove that the married 
life of this prisoner and her first husband was exception- 
ally happy, but I will also prove that Francis Englebert 
died in a foreign land. Let the bailiff issue a writ for 

the appearance of Sir Jasper X . The officer of the 

law will find the person at the monastery in Dantima.” 

At the mention of this name Carl, the alchemist’s son, 
would have fallen from his seat, but with that fortitude 
that courage upbuildeth he drank from the tankard a full 
draught of spring water and wiped the beads of moisture 
from his forehead. The moisture that cometh not with 
heat, but the moisture that cometh from nervousness. 
For this reason, when the nobleman entered the court 
room, Carl’s calmness returned, and thus musing he noted 
the altered appearance of the erstwhile King’s messen- 
ger. 

The tint of the traveler’s skin was a healthy tan 
color. The hot winds of the desert had removed that 
effeminate whiteness that luxury produced. His inches 
seemed taller. The cut of his doublet and hose was not 
changed, yet were the colors more subdued. The mous- 
tache was heavier and darker ; altogether he was a manly 
appearing man, who was handsome in person and courte- 
ous in his manner. 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


309 


When he was duly swom he recounted the strange 
meeting with one of his countrymen in that far-off land. 
He described minutely the deathbed scene, and handed to 
the counselor the bundle of letters and the gold ring, 
which this same counselor passed over to the foreman of 
the jury with this remark: “Your honor, I do this to up- 
hold the sanctity of a private correspondence. While 
there is naught that the most sensitive might blush at, 
yet as a mark of respect to this gentle woman, I would 
that your honor would make a ruling in accordance here- 
with.” 

The prosecutor for the Comonwealth handed to Sir 
Jasper a miniature portrait of Francis Englebert and 
queried : “Did the features of the person that thou call- 
est Francis Englebert have a close resemblance to the 
features of this picture. Turn thy face to the jury.” 

“The, resemblance is wonderfully true.” 

The witness continued his account of the last wishes 
of the dying man. Again was he cross-questioned by 
the prosecutor, who asked : 

“Didst thou read these papers. Sir Jasper? And if 
thou didst not, what reason hast thou to believe that it 
is in the handwriting of the deceased?” 

“The prisoner hath full knowk '^Ige of the fact. It 
seemeth that this is the package that was missing from 
the seaman’s kit.” 

Sir Jasper was in sore straits at these questionings. 
Turning to the stern accuser of innocence, he said: 
“Methinks yon stately dame that sitteth in judgment on 
her sex should know her own brother’s script. If it is 
his honor’s ruling let the writing be displayed that the 
jury may be convinced.” 

No objection being had the letters were placed in the 


310 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


hands of the widow’s accuser for inspection. In a clear, 
cold voice she replied to the interrogatory of the judge: 
“I am free to state that this is the handwriting of my 
brother.” Then a great trembling seized her. She could 
not further say anything but straightway sat down. 

Sir Jasper, who was looking at Florette, arose and 
spake to his honor in this wise: ‘‘If Francis Englebert 
died in a foreign land, how is it that his body lieth in 
yon ancient graveyard. There is some strange mystery 
here that needeth unraveling. Again, if the Widow Dey- 
court poisoned her husband, how is it that he roamed so 
far with such a dose of this fatal drug in his stomach? 
Let the remains that lie interred on the hill be exhumed ; 
then will this trial be brought to a speedy ending.” 

The nobleman’s words produced a profound sensation 
in the court room. By agreement of counsel the chief 
justice of the Commonwealth’s bench adjourned the regu- 
lar sitting to the following day. The grave-diggers were 
summoned. The assembly came together at the grave 
that Nattie pointed out. It was a solemn moment in the 
lives of the accuser and the accused. Every eye was 
fixed on the sexton and his assistants, as they quickly 
dug down to the coffin that was in a remarkable state 
of preservation, being of cedar wood that hath not the 
germs of decay in its structure. Many doubted that they 
would see a trace of the corpse, yet the words of the al- 
chemist intensified the abnormal curiosity until it was 
satisfied by the removal of the rusted plate that shielded 
the glass. 

The alchemist was right. The face of the corpse was 
strange to the accused, yet was it in a sound state of 
preservation. The widow, whose heart was innocent, 
looked calmly on the face of the dead, although she knew 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


311 

that a hundred curious glances were seeking for an ac- 
knowledgment of guilt in her face. Then spake the 
judge: “Tell us, thou accuser, who this man is that no 
one knoweth?” 

She of the high Elizabethian collar and stately mien 
advanced to the supports whereon the coffin lay and gave 
one startled glance at the countenance beneath the glass 
casing and exclaimed: 

“Oh, my God! how have I wronged this woman!’' 
Then fell she over as one that is dead. She moved not 
a muscle for the space of a score of minutes. When they 
saw the blood oozing from her mouth then knew they 
that she had departed this life with the false accusation 
upon her soul. No one would touch the yet warm body 
of this woman until the sweet voice of the widow admon- 
ished them of that human charity that forgiveth the way- 
ward. Then added she: “If I forgive the fallen woman 
this great wrong that she hath done me, why shouldst 
thou not do likewise. God is sitting in judgment on her 
soul. Say I, peace to her ashes.” 

After saying this gentle speech the stalwart browned 
men of Dantima would have carried her (the accused) on 
their shoulders through the burgh, but as the law must 
perforce be complied with, the court, in a procession, 
wended its way back to the court room, where the judge 
reopened the case as speedily as possible. The jury re- 
turned a verdict of “not guilty,” as charged, and the 
justice added: “Go thy way, thou art most honorably 
discharged from custody. Let the writ so issue,” and 
the court adjourned. 

The notoriety was painful to the widow, which the 
crowd seeing, respectfully stood aside while she who had 
been accused of murder passed out to seek the quietness 


312 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


of the cottage on the Devil’s Elbow. Florette was all 
smiles and tears. They chased over her expressive face 
like the showers of an April day. She and her hero 
lover halted at the foot of the pathway. He dared not 
risk the penalty of a second adventure. Without telling 
any one of his mission he wended his way to the labora- 
tory of the alchemist and got he permission to burn the 
volume of ancient lore after first replacing the leaves 
that he drew from his doublet. 

Then went he into the forest and builded a fire of dry 
fagots, whereon he laid the book and waited until it 
was consumed by the flames. Never had Dantima heard 
such strange noises. The very elements seemed to run 
riot. There were hissing and moaning sounds ; such 
sounds as come from a million lost souls. The whir of 
unseen wings was in the air. The troubling of the waters 
in the bay for the space of an hour terrified those of Dan- 
time, and all was still. 

He sat down upon a rock to think. The whiz of an 
arrow came distinctly to his ears, and a sweet voice that 
seemed to come from everywhere spake : 

“I will be with thee always, thou light of my eyes. 
When thou hearest the flight of the phantom arrow come 
to me in all thy solitude and spend an hour with me. I 
begrudge thee not the love of the maiden who hath suf- 
fered greatly at thy absence, but forget her not who was 
thy companion in all of the dangers that beset thee.” 

Then spake he : ^‘Callisto, be it as thoii wisheth. I will 
religiously heed thy request. If thou seest into my soul 
thou art satisfied.” The far-away answer came: ‘T am 
satisfied. Haste! Thy love awaiteth thee at the foot of 
the hill. The strange noises have terrified her.” 

When he had come into the presence of Florette she 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


313 


questioned him as to his absence. “Sit here by my side, 
I have a marvelous tale to relate that bordereth on the 
miraculous. Dost thou remember how eagerly I sought 
the laboratory of the alchemist, that his antique lore 
might explain to me the letter? He hath a volume of 
Arabic astrology. This has been the cause of all the 
ghostly happenings in Dantima, which same coming 
to the ears of these sturdy burghers might bring sorrow to 
the father of Carl. For this reason have I just come from 
the burning thereof.” 

She sat as one in a dream as he followed up one ad- 
venture with another. He kept nothing back from her, 
but dwelt lovingly upon the faithfulness of his youthful 
rescuer. Having finished, he awaited for her answer that 
came speedily: 

“Nay! not one particle of jealousy entereth my heart. 
Hadst thou brought her to England ’twould have been 
the same. My love for thee is not measured by such 
feelings. Since the danger to thee is a thing of the past, 
follow me to the cottage where a warm welcome is 
thine.” 

The King’s messenger was as one of the now happy 
family that dwelt in peace on the Devil’s Elbow. While 
preparations for the marriage were going forward he ab- 
sented himself for a season that he might look up belong- 
ings he once owned. Gifts from the hand of King 
Charles, consisting of moneys that were due ; his prop- 
erty thus he recovered after the lapse of so many years. 
It proved a competency that was ample for all of his 
earthly wants. The wedding was so quietly conducted 
that few in Dantima were present. Thus the lives of 
these reunited lovers flowed onwards in one continual 
stream of happiness. 


314 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 


The mystery of the grave on the hill was a nightmare 
to Carl that deepened as the days went by. 

He had no stomach for food, consequently his frame 
fell away. He became a restless mortal. His sleep came 
to him by fitful turns that made him morose. He saddled 
his animal and rode straightway' to the border to learn 
from the lips of the Oakleys the secret that had brought 
so much misfortune to them all. They welcomed him 
with a right good grace. When he had imparted to them 
the object of his mission they said: 

“Why should I tell to thee that which will bring sor- 
row to thy heart ; yet if thou insisteth I shall tell thee all.” 

“Give me the truth, though it killeth me. I have been 
the football of fortune for these many years, stumbling 
where I should walk uprightly. Begin thou, the suspense 
fevereth me.” 

Saying which he seated himself by the side of his aunt 
and listened intently as she spake: 

“There were three sisters of our family. Two of these 
were thy aunts and one was thy mother. Francis Engle- 
bert was our brother, and an only son, who, by inherit- 
ance and the laws of entailment, owned Ashton Park. 
The duchess, who is thy mother, bruited it about that 
Florette’s mother was a mistress instead of a wife. Your 
real mother brought suit to dispossess the Widow Dey- 
court of this property. That the edict of King Charles 
confirmed the duchess he did this the more readily because 
the rightful owner was of a roving disposition that re- 
straint could not curb. 

“The duchess poisoned her husband, who was your 
lawful father. A father of whom thou mayest be proud. 
He was a just man though plain in his manner of speech, 
and plainer in his manner of dress. The guilty slander, 


A CHEQUERED DESTINY. 315 


she hatched sat heavily on his heart. So much so, that 
he would have betrayed her. For this reason she poi- 
soned him and had him buried in yon grave in Dantima. 
Florette’s father being long absent, she placed the name 
of Francis Englebert upon the tombstone and had it so 
entered on the church register. Then straightway ac- 
cused the widow of murdering Francis Englebert. Thy 
aunt, hearing of the same, vowed vengeance. Thou 
knowest the remainder. 

‘Tt is strange, Carl, how thou becamest an avenging 
angel. Thou, in the goodness of thy heart, sought to 
bring these conflicting elements together. It was the 
hand of God that vindicated the righteousness of the in- 
nocent and cast down the guilty. I would have had thee 
believe that the alchemist was thy father, and the sweet 
woman that is his wife was thy mother. Thou knowest 
all. Blame me not. It was of thy seeking.” 

“Didst thou, my aunt, know this terrible secret all of 
these years and remain silent while an innocent woman 
was so bitterly persecuted?” 

The guilty woman hung her head in shame as she an- 
swered: “Yes, Carl, I knew it. How bitterly have I 
repented me of the wrong.” 

“Then, my aunt, I feel like cursing thee; also my 
mother and all that had anything to do with this terrible 
affair.” Saying which he rode straightway to Dantima, 
where he questioned his guardian, her that guided 
his youthful feet to manhood, but she, knowing naught 
of the conspiracy, was folded in his arms. From this 
time to the end of his days he sought the isolation of his 
father’s laboratory and became skilled in the chemist’s 
art. 


THE END. 






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Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process 
Neutralizing Agent: Magnesium Oxide 
Treatment Date: 





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Cranberry Twp., PA 16066 
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